Angel
by CDrake
Summary: Two weeks after Korra is attacked by the Red Lotus and confined to a wheelchair, she attends the coronation ceremony of the Air Nation's newest bending master. Immersed in the moment and her feelings, she lets a lone tear fall down her face, never suspecting that anyone saw it, that anyone was even watching. But he was, always from the edges, until he couldn't just watch anymore.
1. Angel

AN: WARNING: Spoilers for Korra season 3.

* * *

Angel (n.): a spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God; alternatively, a person of exemplary conduct or virtue.

Air Temple Island, Republic City

2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

She was the only one sitting. Well, that wasn't true. She was the only one sitting in a _chair_ —and not just any chair. It was a chair that made people's spirits fall on sight, that made them tense and cringe and put on smiles for show. It was more for their benefit than the person sitting in the chair. A vain attempt to make themselves feel not so uncomfortable by being nice to the crippled person. At least, most people responded that way. Most people made him sick.

She was different.

He knew who she was, yeah, and he knew the gist of what had happened two weeks earlier from the papers (not that he took those with more than a grain of salt), but that's not what he noticed. No, he didn't notice the dolled-up hairstyle, or the gently elegant clothes, or even the wheelchair and the way her legs hung limply as if she were fully paralyzed. No, the only thing he noticed was the look on her face: blank, limp…dead. Broken. He tried to stay strong, to sit through the long-winded speech by Master Tenzin congratulating his daughter.

He felt a twinge of something—hope maybe—when the airbending master vowed to mobilize his students and the Air Nation to protect the world during her convalescence. He saw the smile on her face as she nodded to him in thanks, so slight, so sad, her eyes half-lidded, though in exhaustion or something else he couldn't tell. He watched as Tenzin pulled the hood back from the now-bald girl, a breath catching in his throat—like over half the room—when he noticed the incredible resemblance between her and a young Avatar Aang. Jinora stood before the whole assembly, empowered and anointed and just a little shy.

The airbenders standing on the sidelines motioned toward rows of burning incense, casting loops of smoke through the air, twisting and turning into horizontal spirals, sending the air gently blowing through wind chimes laid in circles across the upper rafters. The breeze sent soft jingles across the room's large cylindrical space, a soft smile coming to the face of every person present, save one. The sounds of applause filled the chamber as Jinora pulled her father close, burying her smiling face in his robes while he held her back, immeasurable pride written all over his features as he closed his eyes.

Everyone was smiling. The proud mother, the would-be boyfriend, the pro-bending brothers, even the hardened police chief. Everyone, that is, except _her_. He looked over at her, as he had every few seconds throughout the entirety of the proceedings, his light blue eyes lingering on her much darker ones as they stared at the young airbending master. Her mouth remained closed, unsmiling, her face as blank and expressionless as ever, that in itself far more expressive than anything else she could say or do.

And then he saw it, and his mouth dropped a few centimeters.

A glisten, an increased shine over her eyes, the right welling up faster than the left. And it fell, just over the rim of her eyelid, past her cheekbones and down her jaw to the edge of her chin, the left looking like it would follow within the next second. Something broke inside him—his heart, probably. He tried to stay strong, to not let pity show in his expression. Knowing her from the papers alone, there was no way she'd take it well. He stayed resolute, his jaw tightening to a clench as the ceremony drew to a close and the procession moved outside, Jinora and her father at the front while the rest fell in behind them.

The sun-shiny day greeted Air Temple Island, casting golden light on it and the rest of Republic City in equal measure as the residents of the temple's great hall flooded into the courtyard. He stayed to the fringes of the crowd, as always, his mid-height, wiry figure all but invisible in this sea of rich, powerful, and distinguished. His eyes never left her frame, so muscular and built it would normally be intimidating to someone like him. Now, it's because of this that he couldn't help but feel his chest tighten a little more. The juxtaposition of her shape and her condition was almost too much for his bleeding heart to take. He watched as she quietly exchanged one-word sentences with President Raiko, who quickly ended the conversation when it became clear she wouldn't carry it.

He blinked as the dark-haired woman pushing her chair laid a tender hand on her shoulder, the recipient of the gesture not responding at all even as the hand tightened in comfort. He continued to watch as Tenzin broke away from the procession with Chief Beifong, her father, and the pro-bending brothers, all plus Jinora clustering around her with small, sympathetic smiles as easy, quiet conversation was exchanged. She was within the circle, part of the group, but not participating, and that was fine with them. Their conversation didn't try to include her, and that was for her benefit. They understood. They were good friends. Family. Support. Strength. All important, especially when she had (or felt like she had) none of the latter.

But they hadn't seen what he had.

Just four minutes after the coronation, he was sure of that. If they had…well, there would be some slight differences in their approach. For one, there would be a lot more touching and physical comfort. And secondly…secondly, they would get her away from here, away from all the crowds, as soon as humanly possible, because they'd know how ill-prepared she was to face them. Not her friends and family, those she could deal with. It was the crowds, the president, the whole world. Airbending crusaders or not, the world still looked to the Avatar, to her, for salvation. It was heavy, burdensome. It was unfair, especially at times like this.

But he had learned the hard way about the painful truths of life. The world wasn't fair or just by nature. It was cruel and ruthless and unforgiving. That was the nature of human nature, self-interest before altruism. Always quick to judge and slow to understand. Always with the assumptions and the victimizing and the spirits-damned entitlement.

He was different.

He assumed nothing—if he did, that ruled out potentially game-changing breakthroughs. He was not a victim. Not anymore. He _had_ been, once, when he was young and foolish. He was certainly still young, biologically speaking, but his soul had aged far faster than anyone else he knew. Anyone, that is, except maybe her. He was an orphan, had been since he was eleven. Entitlement wasn't a word he even knew the meaning of until he was entering his teenage years. He looked around at the one-percenters around him, few and far in between, but still more dense in this crowd than in the actual population of Republic City, and he shook his head. How could they all be so damned calm?

Hope, he understood. Without it, he too would have perished with his parents, lying side-by-side with the only two people who had ever loved him. He would have welcomed it, the blackness and oblivion, or the transfer of his soul to the spirit world after death. But they had raised him better than that. They had raised him to be strong and brave and optimistic. "Slugger," his dad had called him. The term still brought a bittersweet smile to his face. But as his mind returned to his present company, all he could think was that none of them could possibly appreciate what the crippled girl had sacrificed—for _them_.

How could they? She was the _Avatar_. It was expected. He hated that.

His eyes turned from the crowd back to her barely moving body, taking in the worn look and the dead expression and the—wait, were those—

His mouth opened briefly before closing again, sympathy once again twisting his features as his strength and self-control began to slip. His fingers splayed and tightened to fists in alternation. His feet itched to move. But he couldn't. He couldn't possibly—

The moisture built in her eyes once again.

Something else snapped—his restraint, most certainly.

And then his feet were moving, not at a walk or a lope or even a jog. Well…perhaps a jog would have been the best comparison, but of the passers-by who were practically standing still, none would have called it that. A dozen streaks of golden lightning drew a curve across the island, ending rather abruptly in the center of the loving cluster. He locked eyes with Master Tenzin within a split-split-second of his arrival.

"I'll bring her back soon, promise."

With that one rushed but understandable sentence, his arms went around her shorter but beefier frame, cradling her legs and torso with them as she was lifted from the wheelchair into a bridal carry. Another lightning strike, this time away from the cluster and toward the edge of the island. It didn't stop when he left, but kept going further and further, until they were just about out of sight. Her dark blue eyes, wide as saucers, flickered from his face to the water and back, mouth opening and closing sporadically as choked gasps came from her lips.

"You—you're—running on water," she finally managed, voice bearing nary a trace of sadness and simply confusion and shock.

 _Good. Distraction. That's the first step._

He simply shot her a thousand-watt grin. "And you can surf on water with your bending, so really, how much of a stretch is it?"

She blinked owlishly at him, mouth still hanging open as her gaze flickered down to his legs, the two blurs completely indistinguishable. "I don't—I don't understand. Who—how?"

His head shook. "It's really not important right now." He looked away from her to his destination, noting how rapidly they were approaching it. "But you should probably hold onto me."

Korra followed his line of sight to the rapidly closing lighthouse in the distance, and her arms instantly looped around his neck as they got within fifty feet of its side. She let out a startled yelp when he seamlessly ran up the rocky approach—and outright shrieked when he kept running—up the side of the lighthouse. Straight up on a sheer brick surface he ran, golden lightning trailing behind him until he reached the top, a railed level overlooking the bay and in fact the entire city. He came to a stop here, walking at a normal pace toward one side of the platform, then crouching down to set her back-first against the inside wall, facing outward.

He sat down next to her without a word, gazing out at the city with a solemn, peaceful expression. Korra just stared at him, his light auburn hair framing a young, thin face with light blue eyes. He couldn't be older than sixteen or seventeen, but those eyes…those eyes told a different story. She blinked hard, jaw dropping another couple centimeters as she realized—color apart, they were the same eyes that stared back at her in the mirror.

"You know," he said suddenly but quietly, "I come up here sometimes." He shrugged. "Okay, I come up here a _lot_."

She ventured a "Why?"

He blinked and cocked his head, looking out. "I like watching from a distance. Everything seems so small from so far away. Everything. The good, the bad, the crippling. Every problem and hurt we go through every day just seems so…insignificant, even the horrific and scarring ones."

Korra kept staring at him.

"That's not to mean they don't matter, or that _we_ don't matter, because we do. _Everyone_ matters." He looked over at her, suddenly nervous. "And I'm not trying to…trivialize what you're going through. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"But?"

He shifted his gaze back to the city, dots of people bustling about without a care in the world, so oblivious to the storm raging just off the coast, in the heart and soul of their greatest protector. "But when you look at it all from this distance, when you consider how small and _insignificant_ we are in the scope of the world, you realize something. From this far away, everything looks about the same size, both us and our problems." He gulped and took a long breath. "What I'm trying to say is, if we're strong enough to survive something as small and impacting as we are…then we can't help but grow stronger from it.

"It's human nature to give up." He looked over at her. "It's heroic nature to _get_ up." He put a hand on her arm, ever so lightly, barely a brush of wind. "And you will…but you have to have hope. Without hope…we die." His thumb rubbed her shoulder gently. "There are still people who need you, Korra. And I don't mean _them_." He nodded toward the city, so impersonal and vague that he couldn't understand how someone could base their life around helping it without knowing its populace personally. "I mean them." He pointed to Air Temple Island, where her friends and family were likely going crazy searching for her. He made a mental note to get her back in the next couple minutes.

Korra just stared at the side of his head, eyes drifting down to his hand on her shoulder, so gentle, yet so firm, like an anchor in the middle of a typhoon. He was a complete stranger. She didn't allow strangers to touch her, most days. Maybe it was because this wasn't most days, but she didn't find that she minded. The Avatar was still confused, though.

"Not that I'm…complaining or anything, but…why are you doing this?"

He blinked rapidly, slowly turning to face her as his expression softened considerably, though not in pity, in understanding. "Because I know, Korra." His jaw clenched and hand gripped one of hers as he made and held eye contact. "I know what it's like to be unmade."

He stared into her eyes, those dark blue orbs flickering from one of his to the other as her lips parted slightly, the same dead expression on her face as her eyes began to well up again. His heart wrenched again as guilt struck him, wanting desperately to shield this woman, this _hero_ from every dreg of pain in the world. She didn't deserve it. He doubted _anyone_ deserved it. Instead, he simply curled an arm halfway around her shoulders, his other one hovering just above the ground in a simple, silent invitation. To his surprise, she locked both arms around his chest and pressed her face into it, about half a minute passing by before he felt dampness leak into his shirt.

He didn't mind. He couldn't. He'd never begrudged anyone a shoulder to cry on, or a chest to cry into. If he'd had either of those growing up, maybe he wouldn't still wake up in the middle of the night, heart in his throat as it beat two thousand times a minute. Maybe he wouldn't still feel like a dagger was piercing his chest every time he saw a smiling couple on the street holding a small boy between them. _Henry. Nora._ Those two names would always bring tears to his eyes, no matter how hard he fought to keep them back. Only distraction could keep them from falling, and belatedly, he realized his grief was still unresolved. It didn't matter, not right then anyway.

Someone needed him there, in the moment, and he couldn't afford to spend his time reminiscing while she cried soundlessly into his chest. His arms tightened around her body slightly, the slight shake in her frame sending his hands rubbing over her back in soothing circle motions. It was a full minute before she calmed down, the flows stopping little by little as her eyebrows furrowed, the orbs beneath staring at his hands as she pulled them into view. He looked at her confusedly until he realized he'd been experiencing the last minute in dilated perception, time slowed to a crawl. His hands had been rubbing her back at an extreme pace.

"Sorry," he chuckled sheepishly. "Guess I was movin' a little too fast."

Her eyebrows shot up a little as a sarcastic smirk played over her face, as if to say, "Oh really?"

He grinned in response, a feeling of self-satisfaction predominant as genuine mirth leaked into her features.

"Well," she said quietly, the smirk turning into a small smile, "I can't say I minded. It was…really soothing, actually."

"Good. Was goin' for soothing."

After a moment of smiling into the distance, he gave her a sideways look and a mischievous grin before moving his hand to the top of her head and vibrating it so fast, her covered top-knot came loose, her raven hair flying around her face in sporadic waves. She yelped and swiped at his hand repeatedly as a laugh bubbled from both their throats. Seeing that his hand moved too fast for her to catch, she gave his shoulder a playful swat instead.

"Ow!" he yelped, a little too loudly.

Her eyes rolled. "Oh come on, it wasn't that hard."

He shifted his gaze to her arm and made a show out of squeezing her well-defined bicep. "Or maybe you just don't know your own strength." It was said in a joking tone, but the way his eyes met hers with a knowing look indicated a double-meaning.

She smiled and nodded slightly. She got it.

Another half-minute passed, staring out on the city, before he started to rise to his feet, his well-worn shoes scuffing against the concrete platform. "Anyway, we should get back. They're probably missing you big time. After all, it isn't every day the Avatar gets stolen away on a bolt of lightning."

Korra blinked once, cocking her head inquisitively. "Yeah…how do you even do that, anyway?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Maybe I'll tell you one day, if we see each other again." He chuckled as he crouched down, looping his arms under her knees and around her back.

"Why wouldn't we?"

Another chuckle. "Well, for starters, I don't think the police chief is gonna be too keen about some random guy who kidnapped the Avatar from the middle of about a dozen cops."

Korra snorted. "Lin may be the chief, but I'm the _Avatar_. It's time I make my own choices, and they're all just gonna have to learn that."

He looked at her sideways, a slight flutter in his chest as he tried to suppress a smile. "So, does that mean you _want_ to see me again?"

Her head cocked slightly, those previously dead eyes now sharp and intense as they traced over his features. "Maybe. But I have to know _something_ about you first."

His face fell slightly as he walked toward the edge. "I dunno. I'm…a pretty boring person."

She outright laughed. "Are you _kidding_? You're a guy around my age who can run faster than the average _airship_. What's boring about that?"

"I meant me, not my powers."

Her arms looped around his neck, eyes narrowing slightly. "You took me from the middle of a crowd of cops and powerful benders, knowing you'd likely be arrested on sight after, all so you could bring me, a complete stranger, to a place that's important to you all in an attempt to cheer me up. That doesn't sound like something just anyone would do."

He let himself smile a little, the curve widening when she leaned her head into his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Not a fan of heights?" he asked, changing the subject.

Her eyes opened, one brow raised. "Hm? Well, I don't particularly mind them."

He smirked. "Then you should probably keep your eyes open."

Before she could ask why, he vaulted over the railing into a free-fall that ended when his feet met the outward-sloping wall of the lighthouse. The lightning trailing behind his body and feet traced the edge of the rounded building as he ran toward the ground at a massive speed, instantly shifting from vertical to horizontal running when his feet met the ground. The speeding youth carried Korra down the rock base of the lighthouse and onto the water, jets of it being shot up and behind him as he ran across its surface. Korra just stared at the flying liquid and the way it caused ripple upon ripple upon its return to the surface, slowly returning her eyes to his face.

"You got a name, at least."

The sudden statement caught him off-guard, but he managed to keep his pace toward Air Temple Island, trying to think at super-speed of an answer that would satisfy her without giving away any of his personal information. A small smile came to his face as a memory of his mother came to his mind, a story that resonated with him well after her death—and the name of the main character. His eyes shifted back to her.

"Call me…Gabriel."

She mouthed the name, tasting it on her lips in a small whisper. A smile creased her lips. "I like it…though I take it it's not your real name."

His head shook. "Sorry. I'm just a…very private person. With what I can do…you can probably imagine how many people would beat down my door looking for answers."

She snorted. "Yeah, I get enough of that from the media. Trust me, not a burden I would wish on anyone else." She poked his cheek. "Sure I can't know your name?"

He looked at her and winked. "Maybe someday." _Someday soon_ , he added mentally.

"Well," she started quietly, "thank you…Gabriel."

Another thousand-watt smile. "You're very welcome, Korra."

A glance forward revealed Air Temple Island in an uproar. It had been barely eight minutes since they left, but already search-and-rescue efforts were underway. Asami Sato was still standing aimlessly at the back of the wheelchair, jaw limp as her expression, looking completely lost and helpless in the flurry of activity bustling around her. He frowned slightly at her slumped form, then directed his entire focus to a little sleight of hand in the four seconds before he returned Korra to the chair.

Lightning struck once more, causing a tired but smiling Avatar to reappear in her chair in a flash of light. Asami's jaw dropped even more, along with most of those present, Master Tenzin rushing over to her along with the pro-bending brothers and her father.

"Korra!" Tonraq shouted as he slid to a stop, crouching and taking his daughter's hands in his, eyes wide in alarm. "Are you—"

She gripped his hand steadily, smiling genuinely. "I'm fine, Dad. Really. I'm fine."

Tenzin wasn't entirely convinced, and put a hand on her shoulder even as she realized something was in her closed left hand. "Korra…what was that?"

Her hand opened to find a twine of wire, twisted into the shape of a lightning bolt, the gaps between wires forming words.

 _Ignite when you need me._

The Avatar blinked once, her jaw dropping slightly as she realized she was holding a twisted chunk of magnesium, a flammable metal used often in flares and fire-starters that burned bright as the sun. A small smile creased her features as she stared at the bolt, then out into the bay, where the ripples on the water's surface flowed in his wake.

"An angel, I think."

* * *

AN: Strange? Yes. Out of the ordinary? Absolutely. But I watched the finale of _The Legend of Korra's_ third season recently, as well as the season finale of _The Flash_ , and the last thirty seconds of the former were so unbelievably heartbreaking that inspiration struck, and I felt I needed to write this.

The title was taken from _The Flash_ 's pilot, when he speaks to the Arrow and is told he could be Central City's guardian angel. This just seemed like something Barry would do, even for a complete stranger.

Apologies for any grammatical errors—most of it was written at 2 AM.

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Birth of the Flash: conversation on the lighthouse to end of chapter


	2. Hope

Hope (n.): a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; alternatively, a feeling of trust.

8 hours later

Air Temple Island

2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"I'm fine, really. I think I'm gonna stay here a while. Immerse myself in the fine art of noodle sampling." Korra gave Bolin a quick wink, as he'd been the one to suggest it, causing the younger earthbender to grin and give her and Tonraq an exaggerated thumbs-up.

The father gave a long-winded sigh, running a hand through his hair, but nodded slowly. "Just…call if you need me, all right? And I want updates," he added with an accusing finger at the pro-bending brothers and Asami.

The Sato heir just bowed and smiled. "Of course, sir. Every day. We'll keep you apprised of her condition."  
"And we won't let anything happen to her," Bolin added with a hand on her shoulder, smiling down at her.

Tonraq nodded slowly at his earnest tone, then gave his daughter one last smile and boarded the ship to the South Pole. The four watched him leave, giving a waving send-off after a day of light festivities among friends. Jinora had been so far up cloud nine that her happy spirit was unstoppable, causing quite the ruckus and many antics with her Uncle Bumi and trouble-making siblings, all of whom were extremely excited to help. On a normal day, all this would've caused Tenzin to burst a vein, but his pride and joy in Jinora's accomplishments were so great that he just laughed with the rest of them. Even Chief Beifong had had to restrain her laughter to keep up appearances—and that was not an easy feat to pull off.

The fact was, not even Korra's spirits could stay dampened on that day, despite her earlier melancholy…especially when she considered the…incident just that morning. The arrival and subsequent departure of "Gabriel" had sent the resident police chief into a tizzy. The moment Korra was returned, she was bombarded with questions about the man. Who was he? Where had he come from? How could he just snatch her away without any of them able to do a thing? Of course, she told Lin nothing, mostly because she _knew_ nothing, nothing except the fact that out of everyone there, he was the one who made her laugh first.

She still felt her stomach drop a bit when she considered how fast he'd run, over the water, across the island, up and down a _wall_. And then there was the lightning bolt, the carefully hidden token of her mysterious friend that sat in a fold of her robes, which were now hanging in her room on the island.

" _Ignite when you need me,_ " it had said. _When I need him? For what, though? Another rapid getaway? A conversation? Will he be mad if I just call him to talk?_ One thought of their earlier meeting, though, and she dismissed the notion. The understanding on his face, the _compassion_ had been overwhelming. She honestly doubted that there was an angry or cruel bone in his body. Korra made a mental note to find the bolt when she got back, if only to stash it somewhere a little less obvious.

"So Korra," Bolin said suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts, "where should we hit up first?"

Her brows furrowed. "Huh?"

"Ya know, noodle shops!"

She laughed easily at his excited shout and posture. "Oh, right. I, uh…I was actually thinking of turning it in early tonight." At his crestfallen expression, she quickly grabbed his hand. "Trust me, Bolin, if I weren't so tired, there's no way I'd pass up free noodles."

"Oh," he chuckled, stopping short when the last of her sentence registered. "Wait, free noodles?"

"Of course," she shrugged, her face slowly splitting into a grin. "You'd be paying for it, right?"

"W-Well…uh…yeah."

Korra grinned. "Well then. Free noodles."

The girl wheeled herself over towards the residential building of Air Temple Island, a place that had become home every bit as much as her compound in the South Pole. A light chuckle escaped her lips at the animated conversation occurring between Bolin and his brother, who told him in no uncertain terms that he had, "Walked into that one." Another couple of rotations later, and she felt the wheels moving on their own, looking up to see Asami on the handles. They exchanged a smile, Korra whispering a small "thanks" as they approached the building.

Asami helped her out of the chair, half-carrying her up two floors to the small but quaint room she'd occupied for just over a year. Korra was laid back-first on her bed, hands folded over her stomach as she stared at the ceiling, Asami excusing herself to get the chair, then reappearing a few minutes later. The Avatar shot her a grateful smile before waving her off to get some sleep.

"I'll be fine," she reassured her. "Besides, I gotta get used to finding new and inventive ways to move around. Can't always be relying on others."

Asami frowned slightly. "You also can't forget that sometimes, you have to." She put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We're all here for you, Korra."

"I know. Thanks."

Asami left the room without another word, closing the door and leaving Korra lying in bed, eyes starting to drift closed as she nodded off. Suddenly, they snapped open when the mental note registered, and she swung around with one arm until she grasped the side of her wheelchair, pulling it closer, then managing to swing her legs into the footrests, the rest of her body settling in a few moments later. She turned toward the nearby closet and wheeled herself over with little difficulty, opening the door and pushing a few outfits aside until she found her robes from this morning. Reaching up, she gingerly picked it off the rack and laid it over her lap, hands patting its folds in a searching motion until she found something that refused to give under her touch.

A tuft of fabric was swept aside as she reached inside the pocket, pulling out the small wire sculpture and admiring it for a few moments. The robe was replaced in the closet, and her chair wheeled over to the closed window, stopping to open its shutters as she scanned the grounds for any watchers. The White Lotus guards were just in between shifts, a fact and timetable that she'd memorized in her early attempts to sneak out. With one more cursory look around to check that no one else could see, she laid the bolt on her windowsill, pondering for a moment how to get it lit.

She hadn't been allowed to bend much since the poisoning, nor had she attempted to do so. Given her physical condition, she suspected it would only do more harm. What's more, magnesium, if she remembered correctly, had an extremely high burning temperature. If she kept it on the windowsill, it would burn right through the wood, possibly light the whole building on fire. The answer to this issue came in the candle-holder at her right—ceramic, oven-baked, built to withstand even the intense heat of lightning. A small laugh bubbled from her throat when she remembered what she'd be putting in it.

 _Now to get it lit…_

Korra chewed her lip as she looked around her room for anything that might help. There was no way she could ignite the bolt with her bending, even if she tried. She wasn't willing to output that much heat, to risk undoing weeks of "progress." And then it occurred to her: magnesium had a high burning temperature in itself. If she could get a small portion of it to light, which would take much less energy, she could use that bit to ignite the rest. With this realization, she carefully pulled off a long stretch of wire, taking a deep breath before metalbending it to hover midair with one hand. The other hovered nearby as she kept breathing, focusing her chi on her index, then letting a breath out as her finger lit up in a concentrated flame.

Her focus intensified, as did the heat, and soon she could smell it in the air. Her eyes opened to see a flame just off the tip of her finger, thin and red, with a blue center. Smiling in satisfaction at how little this was draining her, she bended the magnesium over towards her left hand, where she held the flame for several seconds. It took about ten seconds, but soon the metal lit up bright as the sun, and she averted her eyes, looking instead at the bolt, where she sent the combusting wire. It lit up from the center outward, a miniature sun in the heart of a crucible. She held the ceramic vessel high in the window's expanse, staring out into Republic City, lit up and lively as ever.

The bolt began to fizzle and burn out, the dust of its ashes settling to the bottom of the makeshift crucible as it completely combusted. Slowly, she lowered the vessel to the windowsill, staring down into the ashes as minute after minute passed. A small, disappointed sigh left her as she wheeled back toward her bed, snuffing out two candles on the way back with some gentle airbending before reaching for the main light switch. Korra had just flicked it off when something flashed behind her, and a gust of wind sent papers flying everywhere. Her head whirled around to see the sheets drifting toward the ground, her eyes widening as a bolt of golden lightning went in circles, coming to a stop when all the sheets were collected, then putting them on her desk.

She looked at him dumbly for a few seconds, blinking and pinching herself several times to make sure none of this was a dream, then broke into a small smile and crossed her arms smugly. "For a second there, I was starting to think you were just a figment of my imagination."

He raised an eyebrow, an action barely visible in the moonlit darkness. "You mean Chief Beifong actually let you forget?"

Korra winced visibly and let out a groan. "Fair point." She nodded to him. "So what kept you?"

He let out a small chuckle and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I uh…I couldn't decide what to wear."

Her eyebrows rose. "Really?"

He gave her an incredulous snort. "'Really?' It's _important_ to wear something appropriate to these sorts of things…especially since we're kinda in your room…alone…oh crap."

His tone was becoming more and more nervous, and if the lights were on, she was sure he'd be blushing. At this realization, she couldn't hold back the choked laughter that escaped her throat, quickly suppressed to prevent anyone from knowing he was there.

"You're making fun of me," he pointed out flatly.

"I am," she giggled. "But in the most friendly way possible."

"Gabriel" shook his head slowly and grinned, pacing back and forth until Korra noticed.

"There _are_ perfectly good chairs in the room, you know."

"Oh, thanks." He let out a nervous chuckle, then seated himself as calmly as possible, his feet tapping against the ground rapidly enough to upset the dust that had settled there.

Korra sighed. "You know, you weren't this nervous when you swept me out of my chair this morning."

He laughed quietly. "I know. It was a rare show of gumption for me, believe that. I was just so…sick of standing on the sidelines. I couldn't watch anymore."

She leaned forward in her seat, hands tucked under her chin. "Why?"

"Well, for one, I don't like watching good people get hurt."

"Aww."

He arched an eyebrow at her sarcastically. "And secondly…I know what it's like to be where you are, getting all the sympathy and support in the world, but treated by most like you're a glass cup already cracked, ready to break at a moment's notice."

Her brows furrowed. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Why what?"

"Why do you know?"

His expression hardened a bit.

"Right. You're a very private person."

"N-No offense," he said with a raise of his hand. "I just…don't really want to say just yet. Keyword there is yet. I…I trust you to keep my secret, I'm just…not really used to anyone who knows me knowing what I can do. Or, at least, knowing what I can do _and_ who I am."

"Ah, so you _do_ have people who know you. That's good to know."

"Ha-ha, yeah, no, I'm-I'm not a loner or something. I just…I know what can happen to people who are…different if the wrong people find out about them." He waved at her and the chair. "Case in point."

Korra shrugged, conceding that. She stared out the window for a few moments before she realized what was so different about that exchange. "You know, I'm a little surprised. You don't tiptoe around my injury, my…current predicament. Not like everyone else. Even people who don't mean to, they…"

"Yeah, I totally get it. It was the same with me. No one wanted to talk about it or bring it up when I was around, but behind closed doors where they thought I couldn't hear…" He shrugged. "It was open season."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Can you…can you at least tell me what happened?"

He searched her eyes for a moment, the glint of his lighter ones shining in the moonlight. "Guess it can't hurt. Not like it isn't a common enough story." His hands twisted together, eyes looking down as they began to fill with pain. "When I was eleven…my parents were murdered." He gulped. "They never caught the guys that did it." A shrug. "They never even found out why. The only reason I survived was because they had the sense to hide me. I don't think they would've let even a child survive."

"Spirits," she breathed, wheeling over and reaching out into the darkness to take his hand.

He gripped it back. "So, yeah, I know what it's like to lose something important. In your case, it's use of your legs, at least for now. The most…intense casualty, though, whenever any kind of loss happens, is your sense of security, of confidence. It gets shaken every time, the sense that everything will turn out all right in the end. Raava only knows how many times that's happened to the both of us, especially you."

She winced and looked away. "Yeah."

"That's when we need hope, from wherever we can get it. Even the strongest wills need hope to keep going, even if in the end, it turns out to be false." He hated to say it, hated that she didn't refute it, but kept going in an attempt to elevate the conversation. "You know something, Korra?"

"Hm?"

His finger prodded her shoulder. "You give me hope."

She turned back and blinked at him owlishly.

"Yeah, I mean…with all the crap you've been through, losing your bending, your freedom, your past lives…nearly your life— _multiple_ times…it takes a special kind of person to come back from all that. And, well, with what you told me this morning, about me not being like everyone else…" His brows furrowed. "Did you mean it?"

Korra blinked and snorted. "Of course."

He smiled. "Then you give me hope that I can bounce back from whatever life throws at me."

"Well, I haven't bounced back from this yet." She waved to the wheelchair.

Gabriel grinned. "Keyword there is yet."

Korra raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Seems to be that way a lot with you."

He shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. Fast as I am, I know some things—most things worth having—take time." He patted her shoulder. "And hey, you're already strong enough to light up magnesium, so there's that."

Her brows furrowed. "Wait…you _wanted_ me to push myself to bend?"

He bit his lower lip. "Kinda. To be honest, I've found that rest isn't always that good for the healing process, especially for people who are extremely active. People like you and me need movement and action to live, and live well. I've been through enough injuries over the years to know that much."

"What kinds of injuries?"

"Well, ya know, everything from broken bones to pavement burn. Most of it's healed in a matter of hours, but it usually takes some movement to get the process started."

Korra blinked several times, then shook her head rapidly, one finger going in her ear to check for clogs. "Wait, did I hear right? A matter of _hours_?"

He grinned. "Yep. Most cuts heal completely in minutes. Basically everything in my body is sped up, including—" A loud growl cut him off, and for a second, Korra thought Naga had found her way into the tiny room or up to the window. Instead of bolting upright in fear, though, Gabriel gave her a sheepish grin. "Including that little monster." He pointed directly at his stomach.

Her eyebrows shot up as a giggle bubbled out of her throat. "Oh. Wow. So, you…you must eat a _lot_ then."

He groaned. "More than I can afford most days."

Korra almost laughed again before she thought over his statement. "Wait…does that mean you have to—"

"Steal?" His expression dampened. "On occasion, yeah. The food bill's already through the roof most weeks, and when I have to use my powers more than usual…it skyrockets. And on my salary…most times I can't cover the difference." His blue eyes averted and expression twisted in guilt and shame, head ducking away from her.

Korra couldn't find it in herself to blame him. "Hey," she said softly, putting a hand on his arm. "People have done worse for far less noble reasons and gotten away with it. You're just doing what you need to survive."

"Still hate it though."

She smiled warmly. "Then that's good enough for me."

He furrowed his brows. "Huh?"

"The fact that you acknowledge it's wrong, that you feel guilty every time you have to…it's enough to verify the person I already think you are."

"Which is?"

Korra shrugged. "I dunno. Just a guy trying to make his way through a cruel and unforgiving world? Honestly, I don't know much more about you."

He let out a small chuckle. "My fault."

She snorted. "Obviously."

They shared a quiet laugh, sitting in silence for a few more minutes until he stood up. "I should…probably go. It was…nice talking to you, to be able to talk to _someone_ about…all this." He waved to himself.

Korra smiled again. "Anytime. Ah—" she spouted suddenly, stopping him as he was about to run out the window.

"Hm?"

"How will I contact you again?"

"Well, um…I don't know. Hadn't thought that far."

"Hm…" She smirked. "How about we meet here every other night, around ten or so, and just talk?"

"That…" he smiled, "that actually sounds really nice."

"Good," she grinned back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really am super tired, so…"

"Right, right. I'll let you sleep. See ya, Korra."

"See you, Gabe."

With a burst of wind and lightning, he was gone, out her window and across the waterfront, then well out of her sight to wherever he called home.

…

Republic City

Lightning trailed through the streets of Republic City, bystanders glancing in its direction as it zipped past them, leaving nothing but gusts of displaced air in its wake. The man at the head of the lightning twisted and turned through the crowded thoroughfares, making his way to a one-bedroom apartment in a roughly middle-class neighborhood just a few blocks from his job. The moment he was through the door, he closed it behind him with a light slam, the usual volume that his neighbors had become used to when he came in and out at odd hours.

And boy did he hold some _odd_ hours. A grin making its way to his face at the now-concluded conversation, he tossed his jacket on a nearby chair and zipped over to the bathroom, hands running over his face and through his cropped auburn hair. Tired eyes stared back at him, but still containing a modicum of mirth and satisfaction.

For the first time in a long time, Barry Allen felt _understood_ —by the _Avatar_.

He had to suppress a hyper giggle of giddy proportions. She was short and dark and incredible and she _understood him_. And she wanted to meet again, every other day—correction, _night_. Ten o'clock, seven o'clock, what was the difference, really? He'd be there. A small amused snort left him as he began his evening routine at superspeed. It was probably a bad thing that she'd set a meeting time for them, considering his tendency to be at _least_ ten minutes late for _everything_. He should probably have gone back to tell her that. Instead, he made a mental note to leave ten minutes early.

Barry knew he'd be late anyway, and he hoped she would understand enough to listen to his explanation. An exhausted huff left his chest as he fell into bed, still half-clothed and too tired to strip off his shirt. Instead, he let his head fall back against the pillows and pulled the covers up to his neck, eyes closing as he let out a contented sigh. Slowly but surely, his thoughts slowed and blanked out, the dark fog of sleep claiming him.

…

What seemed like a second later, dread overtook him and his eyes snapped open, going even wider when he recognized his surroundings not as his apartment, but a small house near the waterfront of Republic City. His _parents'_ house. Slowly, he rose to a crouch, then to his feet, peering around a corner and wondering why the edge of his father's desk looked so blurry. His eyes drifted over his surroundings, the books lining the walls, the phonograph on repeat and clashing with the song on the radio, the whole place completely devoid of life. Seconds later, the door burst open and Henry Allen stormed through with his wife in tow. Barry looked around as they shouted at each other in words he couldn't understand, rooted to the spot as they both turned to him, pain and desperation in their eyes.

Then a loud bang sounded from downstairs, and his father approached him as his mother closed and locked the door.

"Barry," Henry said, crouching down to his level and putting his hands on his shoulders, "I need you to listen to me. There's a false panel in the wall behind my desk, concealing a short tunnel that leads out into the street. I want you to open it and follow it to the end, then run to your uncle's house. Whatever you hear or see, do _not_ look back, you understand?"

Barry's brows furrowed as his mind raced. _No, I don't understand. Not at all. What's going on, Dad, and—why do you have to_ crouch _to be at my level?!_ Then his eyes widened, and he took a look at himself, four foot six in red pajamas and bedroom slippers. Exactly what he was wearing the night they—

"Henry," Nora whispered shakily. "They're here."

The doctor looked at his wife, jaw tightening as sadness filled his kind eyes, then back to Barry. He forced a proud smile onto his face as he held the boy close. "We love you, Slugger. We love you so much." He held Barry at arm's length, Nora crouching next to him and putting a hand on his head, tense as if she would never hold him again. "Now go, son. Go." His voice broke at the last word, as he pushed his boy toward the panel and freedom.

He helped his son lift the panel, then closed it behind him and turned toward the door, neither him nor his wife aware that Barry had never left, instead peering into the room from a small hole in the upholstery. Henry and Nora faced the door as it shook on its hinges, then shattered as two gruff-looking men stepped through the door, one holding a crackling fire in his hand. Barry stared in unabashed horror even as he tried to move, to push his way through the panel into the room beyond, to show these two psychopaths that he wasn't helpless. But he was, and his parents knew it.

"This is everyone, I take it?" The man who asked had a voice dripping with venom and sadistic pleasure as he tipped over one of the books lining the walls, lazily waltzing around the room while his partner tossed a flame between his hands.

"What do you want?" Henry asked, putting himself between them and his wife.

The talking thug stopped suddenly, fixing Henry with a death stare. "You. Dead." He nodded at his partner, who increased the flame in his hands in preparation to roast them both. "No, no, no," he reprimanded. "Too messy."

"Ah," the firebender hummed, letting the flames dim even as a perverse glee entered his eyes. The moment the fires disappeared, sparks danced across his fingers, arcing back and forth between his hands until his arms straightened in opposite directions, front hand pointing at Henry with two fingers. Lightning shot from his arm, striking the doctor across the arm and sending him yelling and careening into the wall where Barry was hiding. The smell of burning paper and drywall reached Barry's nose, and he realized the lightning must have passed through and into the wall, where it ignited the flammable wallpaper.

"Henry!" Nora shrieked, running over to him and crouching over his injured body.

"Don't worry," the nonbending thug said with a smirk as he brandished a knife. "You're next."

In a last act of defiance, Nora charged him, putting herself between them and her husband. She didn't make it two steps before the knife sunk into her chest up to the hilt, piercing her heart. At this, Barry could no longer hold it in.

"Mom!" he wailed, his voice high-pitched and broken.

The thugs froze, and for one second, Barry thought they would stop. That is, until the knife-man threw one of his weapons into the panel and shattered its locking mechanism, the blade missing the boy's arm by barely an inch.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The cruel man marched over to the passage, crouching down and smiling at the petrified boy as he brandished another knife. "Don't worry, son. I'll make this quick."

"Not _my_ son!"

An enraged roar came from the man's side before a familiar fist impacted with the side of his jaw, decking him briefly as yet another bolt of lightning struck Barry's savior. He clenched his teeth around another agonized yell, but still managed to yank the knife-wielder between him and the firebender by the next shot. The bolt struck his partner, but it landed nowhere critical, just stunning him and his partner enough for Henry to dash over to the panel and grab his boy's arms, shaking him hard.

"Run, Barry, run!"

He shoved the boy down the tunnel, then rushed back toward the thugs as Barry took a tumble down an inclined drop, rolling several times and suffering several dozen bruises before coming to a halt just inside a sewer grate. He pushed his way out into the street and closed his eyes as he turned back toward his house, hoping against hope that when he opened them, this would all be a bad dream, that he would wake to his mother holding his hand with hers, the other occupied with a glass of warm milk to help him sleep through the nightmares.

Instead, all that greeted him was a house on fire.

…

Barry snapped upright in a gasping, sweaty heap, every muscle tensed as his eyes roved around the familiar environment of his apartment, blinking several times to make sure that this was not a nightmare. Slowly, the night's events came back to him. _Magnesium—lightning bolt—Korra._ He blinked again. _Korra_. A smile came to his face even as his mind processed the nightmare/memory at lightspeed. Sweat poured down his face as his breathing slowed to a more reasonable pace than six hundred breaths a minute.

Finally, he got it down to sixty and managed to lie back down, looking at his hands to make sure they weren't vibrating. They weren't. Another couple of breaths and he managed to reduce his rate to thirty. Another ten seconds, and it was twenty. He could feel his heart rate slowing by degrees until he was perfectly calm. And then the human feelings set in. The grief, the pain, the anguish and helplessness. Not even in his dreams could he change that night. It killed him every time he saw it in live and vivid color. All this time, all this power…and still he could do _nothing_.

All he could do was focus on now, on living how they would've wanted him to. He turned over in his bed, facing Air Temple Island, and spied a single light burning in a familiar window. A smile spread over his face as warmth filled him, and it had nothing to do with the covers he pulled back over his body. His eyes closed as for once, the day before him no longer held mere drudgery and death, but hope. Hope for a future without nightmares, without chaos. A future without orphans.

* * *

AN: I had considered keeping this story a one-shot, but then I got a single review with one word on it, and I couldn't resist writing more. Hope you enjoy this. FYI - Barry is seventeen in this story.


	3. Late

Late (adj.): doing something or taking place after the expected, proper, or usual time.

2 days later

10:01 AM

Republic City

2 weeks, 2 days after the fall of the Red Lotus

"What do we got?"

Mako knelt over a single body covered with a white sheet, a small puddle of blood formed around it, then looked back at Chief Beifong. "Single male, store owner. Defensive wounds indicate he put up a fight. According to witnesses, the perp. made off with over two thousand yuans from the register."

"He was the only casualty?"

Mako nodded once, rising to his feet to stuff his hands in his jacket pocket. "Some kind of oil residue on his clothes indicates he was doused in an accelerant before he was lit up."

"Good work, detective."

The young cop gave his chief a sideways look before suppressing a smile and nodding. Since Lin had made up with her half-sister Suyin, she'd been slightly less bitchy and quite a bit more supportive—though the gruff tomboy side was still predominant in her personality. If you ever called her on the newfound softness, you were immediately put on a crap detail in the wrong end of Republic City's sewer system.

Instead, he just said, "Thanks, Chief."

Then she just _had_ to say, "Has CSI been over it yet?"

And he had to suppress a groan and a facepalm. "No."

…

 _Late. Latelatelatelate_ late _!_

Barry forced himself to slow down before he caused sparks to fly—or his shoes to burn up, whichever came sooner—trying to get to the city's latest crime scene before Chief Beifong blew a circuit. It would be the first time he'd seen her since the coronation at Air Temple Island, and given that fact, he was more than a little nervous. At the time, he'd been vibrating his head to conceal his features, not to mention the fact that he was in front of them for barely two seconds, with his face turned away from her. Still, he wondered. Only one way to find out, he supposed.

Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't kill him _anyway_ , seeing as how he was now—holy _Raava_ — _ten_ _minutes_ late. Focusing his mind away from that, he took the last turn to find Vaatu's daughter chatting animatedly with Detective Mako, the latter looking like he was desperately trying to stall for time. The moment he spotted Barry, he threw him to the lions.

"There he is now!"

Barry nearly froze in his place when two piercing green eyes locked onto his small, wiry frame, forcing him to keep walking due to the fact that past experiences of this sort had ended with his limbs mostly intact. "S-Sorry I'm late," he stuttered, approaching the body and hoping to be spared from—

"What was it this time, Mr. Allen?"

He cringed. "I was—"

"And before you say anything, may I remind you that the last excuse you gave me was car trouble? Want to know why that one was so memorable?"

Barry reluctantly faced her and grimaced. "I do not own a car."

"He was doing a favor for me," Mako said suddenly, the slight waver to his voice praying that Beifong bought it. "Did you get the…item I asked for?"

Barry looked between the two cops, eyes sticking to Mako as the young detective pleaded for him to pull something out. "Uh…yeah. Yeah." Hurriedly, the CSI put his hands in his jacket pockets and fished around. _Tweezers, no...spare yuans, no…ah, got it!_ A half-wrapped chocolate bar was produced with a slight fumble as he handed it to the firebender. "I…might've taken a few bites," he said sheepishly.

He could tell Mako wanted to facepalm when he nodded toward the body.

Without another word, Barry complied, his mind running a thousand miles a minute as he knelt down in front of the body, gingerly lifting the sheet, then grimacing as he saw the charred mess underneath. It looked like—

 _No, don't think about them. Don't think about that night._

Forcing down his bile, Barry pulled a cotton swab from his shoulder bag and dabbed it against a small pool of liquid on the victim's chest. He held it up for inspection. "Detective, a spark please?"

Mako dutifully obeyed, snapping his fingers to send a streak of embers off his hand, one landing on the swab and producing a blue flame with green spurts. Barry frowned and tucked the remains of the swab into an evidence bag, then covered the body again and moved toward a set of tire treads. He lay down on his chest, inspecting the tracks with a keen eye and noting a twelve-inch width, the sides with shallower imprints than the middle.

"Perp. was driving a Model S-200 Satomobile, sports edition. The off-road models have twelve-inch asymmetrical treads, it helps grip the ground better on uneven terrain." His brows furrowed. "There's more." Another swab, a whiff and a cringe. "Fecal matter. I'm thinkin' a moo-sow or a pigster, though based on the more—" cough, "—pungent qualities of this sample, I'm inclined to think the former."

"This _is_ former Earth Kingdom territory," Mako pointed out.

"So," Barry said as he got to his feet, bagging the swab, "I'm guessing our suspect frequents a farm not far from here." He gave the chief a brilliant grin in an attempt to smooth things over. "Fifty yuans says one of them will have a sweet off-roader parked out back."

Chief Beifong glared at him with hard eyes, chewing the inside of her cheek as her upper lip and left eye twitched. Finally, she spat out, "Good work, Allen."

He made the mistake of replying, "Anytime, Chief."

"Except _on_ time," she reminded him brusquely.

Barry winced again but nodded with a sheepish smile.

"Get back to the station," Lin ordered. "I want all that evidence processed by the time I get back."

"Yes, ma'am."

As Barry packed his bag up and settled for a long walk back to the station, Mako took him aside and gave him a look.

"What?" he asked, confused.

Mako just cocked his head, unamused, and mimed finger quotes. "'I might've taken a few bites?'" He snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "Why don't you just say, 'Hey Chief, Mako over here is too stupid not to throw his pals under the bus, so he's covering for me being super late all the time'?"

Barry cringed. "Um…because I'm not that smart?"

The detective sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "The problem, of course, is that you _are_. Spirits, Barry…why did I have to befriend such a doofus?"

Allen gave him a thousand-watt grin. "Because I'm a _likable_ doofus?" They shared a chuckle. "And besides, you're one to talk. Your brother is probably, like, the biggest doofus in Republic City, if not this side of Ba Sing Se."

"Hey, he's family. I didn't have a choice when it came to him. My friends, on the other hand…"

Barry shrugged as they walked together. "Ah, I dunno. Maybe living with him just made you realize that you actually _like_ lovable idiots."

Mako sighed out a chuckle. "Don't push it, babyface."

"Aw, come on! I do _not_ look that young!"

"You really do. And besides, you _are_ that young."

Barry outright pouted. "Well you don't have to rub my face in it."

Mako rolled his eyes and glanced at the slouching CSI before smirking mischievously and pulling him into a headlock, his fist giving the shorter man a massive noogie despite his protests. When the detective finally released Barry (he could never get out of his holds), they shared another laugh and kept walking toward the station in relative silence for a few more minutes.

"Hey," Barry spoke up, "you're friends with the Avatar, right?"

At this, Mako's expression sobered. "Yeah?"

"Well…does she seem any better? I mean, since…since the coronation. She uh, she kinda looked really down."

Mako blinked and gave him a confused look. "You mean you were there?"

 _Uh-oh. Too much information_. "Well, yeah, I mean, I was there for the ceremony. Kinda on the edges. You know me, I don't like being the center of attention."

The detective looked him over with an assessing gaze, obviously trying to place him in the crowd. Barry was lucky he was actually telling the truth, since vibrating his face or no, it would've been _impossible_ for him to avoid suspicion if either cop had seen him there beforehand. His clothes alone would've been a dead giveaway.

Mako just said, "Huh. Makes sense."

Barry breathed an internal sigh of relief. _Close one_.

"To answer your question, yeah. She seems better. Not all there yet, obviously, otherwise she'd probably be on this case." He looked away for a while, still walking. "You were there, so you saw what happened after the ceremony, right?"

"What?"

"You know, the whole 'Avatar vanishing, Chief organizing a rescue' thing?"

"Oh, that. Yeah. Weird, huh?"

" _Beyond_ weird. And Korra won't tell me—or _anyone_ —anything about it. All she said was, 'It was an angel,' or something weird like that."

"That _is_ strange. And this is _me_ talking."

Mako snorted a laugh. "Yeah. Yeah it is."

…

7 hours later

5:20 PM

Police HQ

"Allen!"

The CSI in question nearly jumped from his seat, instead toppling with it when it fell backward, knocking his head against the tiled floor with a thud. "Ow," he groaned. "In here," he called painfully.

Chief Beifong ascended the stairs to Barry's lab with less than a spring in her step, a small scowl still on her face, not that that was unusual for her. "Is everything tucked away in the lockup?"

"Not everything," he admitted, and before she could cut him off, kept talking. "There's this one compound I had to work a little more. The accelerant used for the murder? I think I finally isolated it."

Lin stood by impatiently as he leaned over a test tube, dropping some sort of liquid inside and watching as the contents of the tube turned a light blue.

"Bingo. The accelerant was a substance called cyprozene, it's in industrial grade fuel used in coal-burning factories. Not particularly expensive, but virtually useless in domestic environments. It's extremely high-burning and emits far too much steam and smoke, hence why it's good for coal-burning. You know, 'cause it adds extra—"

"I get it, Allen." She sighed heavily. "Thanks for the info." Lin turned for the exit.

"Whoa, hey…you okay, Chief?"

She gave him a sharp look. "I'm fine," she bit out, sighing a second later. "Just been a long day."

He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. "I'll have this in evidence by the end of the hour."

"Make it earlier."

"Why? You need me for something?"

The pointed glare she sent in his direction silenced his protests.

"Yes, Chief," he answered with a smile and a thumbs-up.

So Barry returned to his work, looking over his shoulder briefly before grinning and getting all the paperwork done at super-speed, finishing with a sighing flourish before walking towards the evidence lockup. He gave a wave to Detective Mako as he passed the bullpen and made his way to the sergeant in charge of evidence. The baggie was dropped off as soon as he arrived, the sergeant pleasantly surprised he'd actually filled everything out in advance. As he was walking back to his lab, a commotion in the bullpen caught his attention, and he briefly caught snatches of conversation from passing detectives as Chief Beifong stormed past him toward the door.

"W-What's going on?" he asked a nearby beat cop.

"We're gettin' reports of a rogue firebender in the industrial district, same MO as the murder this morning."

Barry's expression hardened to a degree that made the cop do a double-take, but he quickly covered it up with a small smile. "I'm sure Chief'll be able to handle 'im."

"Yeah…no doubt, right?"

"Right."

But the forensic scientist had his doubts. Not that the metalbending master would be able to take down the criminal, but that she would get there in time to prevent another body from dropping. A thought briefly flashed through his head before being dismissed. It was a job for the police, and if anyone ever found out—he was fast, no one would even see him—but the chief would know that the mysterious streak had been there and she'd start looking—if he could save even one life, it would be worth it.

Barry shook his head to dispel his thoughts. He'd successfully stayed out of the line of fire for months, only using his powers when absolutely necessary to prevent bodily harm or be on time (or less late). He wasn't about to break that pattern now…was he? But his mind kept going back to the accelerant he'd just turned into the lockup, cyprozene. He'd seen blue flames like that once before.

…

6 years ago

It was burning. His house, his _life_. So many memories, so many plans and hopes and dreams. All consumed one by one as the blue fire consumed the only place he'd ever called home. And his parents…

Barry desperately restrained the tears and sobs threatening to shatter him even as the sky thundered and rain began to fall around him. The water drowned his small frame, the rats in the gutter, anyone foolish enough to be swimming at this hour. No matter how much fell, though, nothing could drown his sorrows, and soon his tears joined the rain as he collapsed to his knees, the soaked ground sending water through his thin pajamas. His eyes slammed shut as drop after drop fell, adding another flow to the veritable deluge already flooding the area.

And then no more fell.

He was no longer being pelted by rain, though he could still hear it falling around him…less loudly. Light blue eyes opened and widened to their max as every liquid within a twenty-foot radius of him began floating. His first thought was a waterbender that had taken pity on him. His illusions were dispelled a moment later when something— _impossible_ streaked toward him a second later. A yellow blur followed by a streak of red lightning set a direct collision course for him, causing the boy to stumble back and put his hands up defensively. The blur was diverted when a red one smacked into it, this one trailing yellow lightning.

The two lightning bolts zipped around the street in sporadic spirals, drawing closer to him with every rotation until the red lightning made a beeline for him. The yellow lightning struck the red hard, causing a clap of thunder that made Barry cringe and hold his ears, his eyes squeezing shut until he felt himself being grabbed. He shrieked loudly, then stopped as abruptly as he was released. Blue eyes opened slowly, the rest of his body realizing that he was in the rain again. Something inside him hoped that it had all been a bad dream, but by the time he ran all the way back home, the fire department had arrived and waterbenders put out the inferno.

One tried to stop him as he rushed in, finding a police team standing over two covered bodies. He peeled back the sheet of one and nearly vomited on the spot, instead staring blankly at the half-charred and mangled face of his mother.

"Mom," he choked out. "Mom!" he yelled, praying to every spirit he knew that his eyes were lying.

They weren't.

…

Present

5:40 PM

Barry slumped into his seat, over an instrument used to inspect fiber samples, elbows braced on the table as his chin rested on his clasped hands, eyebrows furrowed. Could he intervene? Should he? Would he do more harm than good? More than ever, he wished he could talk to _someone_ about this constant dilemma. He _could_ , he realized, but he wouldn't see her until tonight, and by then…he was sure someone would be dead. If he was right, and the man who robbed that store was the same one that was in his house that night…then none of his potential victims stood a chance. And with that, he knew his answer.

Barry may not have been able to save his parents, but he couldn't in good conscience allow someone to suffer what they did, not when he could make a difference. The CSI reached his in-lab locker in milliseconds, opening it and reaching inside to pull out an as-yet unused article of clothing. A split-second later, his upper body was clothed in a form-fitting red hoodie, the hood pulled up and tight over his features, masking the upper section of them in shadows thrown by the dim lights of his lab. Putting down a note in the log to indicate that he'd left for the day, Barry took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at the exit door, lightning dancing in his eyes for a moment.

When the moment ended, he was gone.

…

5:41 PM

Republic City

"These are…Bolin, these are _amazing_!"

"And cheap," he added through a mouthful of noodles. "You wouldn't believe how many times me and Mako visited this place after a game back in the day."

"With food this good? I'd believe it."

Korra shoveled another wad of coiled-up noodles into her mouth, groaning in glee as her taste buds lit up like the sky of the North Pole at solstice. She couldn't help but close her eyes in an attempt to take in every sensation of the saucy food, her feet gently tapping out a rhythm to a song on the radio. This was, by far, the most normal thing that had occurred in the last two weeks, from the sideways looks and pitying stares and ceremonies and…

She sighed. _Spirits bless you, Bolin._

The younger man was like a younger sibling to her, and though he hadn't initially seen her that way, he had definitely formed into the role, especially since he had met Opal in Zaofu. Spending time with him was so easy. Conversation came as naturally as breathing, as did antics and laughs. Bolin was currently far too absorbed in his noodles to keep up any kind of conversation longer than two syllables, and that was fine with her. She shared his sentiments.

When their bowls were half emptied into their stomachs, Korra finally found the breath to speak again. "So, Bolin, what are your plans now? I mean, you were pretty successful in the mover industry. Think you could pull it off again?"

He shrugged. "I guess. I mean, the crowds love me, but without a manager, cameras, backing…without Varrick…"

Korra snorted. "You don't need him. I'm being serious. Bolin, Varrick may have pioneered movers, but after that, tons of sponsors started popping up." She poked his shoulder from across their table, grinning. "And I'm betting every _one_ of them would love to fund the original mover star."

The earthbender perked up considerably, green eyes flashing with excitement. "You think so?"

Korra chuckled and shook her head. "The only question I have is why you'd doubt yourself. You can act, earthbend like a pro—spirits, you can _lavabend_. Bolin, there's nothing beyond your abilities. You're amazing." She looked into her bowl and smiled. "And you can always get me to laugh—which I _know_ isn't easy all the time."

"Just _most_ of the time," Bolin laughed. "The rest of the time…" he shrugged, "you're worth it."

Korra smiled warmly. "Thanks, Bo."

They sat in silence, finishing off their noodles, until a radio announcer came on in an urgent voice. Sensing her distraction, Bolin earthbent a pebble to nudge the volume up.

"Just now, reports are coming in of arson in the industrial district, where Chief of Police Lin Beifong is confronting who is believed to be notorious hitman-for-hire Farooq 'Blackout' Gibran, a firebender responsible for deaths in Republic City and across the globe. No deaths have been confirmed as of yet, but with Blackout in the picture, it's only a matter of time. We can only hope that Chief Beifong and her forces will intercept the rogue firebender fast enough to stop him."

"Spirits," Korra breathed, eyes looking down to her hated wheelchair and teeth clenching.

"Korra, don't," Bolin reprimanded gently, one hand on hers. "It's not your fault that you're injured, and you're not gonna blame yourself if anything happens."

"How do _you_ know?"

The unflappable boy smirked. "Because if you do, I'll pound your head with rocks until you stop."

The Avatar couldn't help but chuckle. "See what I mean?"

"Mhm," he replied smugly. "It's a gift."

Her smile faded as she turned her attention back to the radio, hating the helplessness that threatened to overwhelm her, her only anchor Bolin's hand tightening around hers. She gripped it back as more details began to flood through.

…

5:47 PM

Industrial District, Republic City

 _Right. Left. Left. Right. Straight two blocks. Right._

Barry sprinted across the streets at inhuman speeds, zipping past cars and pedestrians faster than the naked eye could track. His red streak confused most who caught sight of it, the rest bustling about their days without a care in the world, most completely unaware of the battle about to break out in the heart of their city. He didn't envy them, but he also couldn't escape the pang of fear that struck him as he approached his destination. He had never before employed his speed in a situation anywhere near as dangerous as he was running into.

A part of his mind that told him the fear was due more to his nightmares than inexperience. That part was quickly and ruthlessly squashed. He wasn't helpless anymore, as he'd reminded himself about a thousand times over the course of this trip. Finally, the building was in sight, and he sprinted inside the moment he saw flames start to lick through one of the upper-level windows. Two workers were sped outside as a boiler whined in warning of an imminent explosion, saving them in a split-second before Barry sped through one level after another, trying to find Blackout while simultaneously getting any collateral damage free of the danger zone.

His arms began to ache less than a minute in, having never sped this many bodies along before, but they quickly recovered even as his stomach reminded him to eat soon. In the forty seconds it took him to clear another floor, he made a mental note to find an alternative method of nourishment if this became a regular thing. No, of _course_ it wasn't a regular thing! It was one time, one outing, and a _foolish_ one at that, but he couldn't just let Blackout run free anymore, not when he knew he could stop him. Thus far, Barry hadn't come across anyone with injuries above a few first-degree burns, but as he neared the source of the inferno, he knew that would change drastically.

The police were just arriving, if the sirens and authoritative shouts were any indication. When Barry turned a final corner and found Blackout staring down the plant's administrative staff, fire in his hands, he knew they wouldn't make it in time.

"You gotta understand, Trei," he was saying, "this is nothin' personal. It's just business. _My_ business." Gibran reared up and shot flames from his hands, the jets streaming toward the plant's manager with deadly intent.

Which was when a red-and-gold blur tackled Trei into another room.

"Stay here," the hooded man said before streaking back into the room with Blackout and the staff, legs moving at maximum speed as he tried to get everyone out before Gibran could do any more damage. Finally, it looked like he'd succeeded, and the hitman looked as disoriented as could be. Barry stood on the opposite side of the large room, head covered in shadows that obscured his visible features from view. "Farooq Gibran."

The firebender arched an eyebrow and nodded in his direction arrogantly. "And you are?"

"You're done hurting people," Barry said resolutely, his right hand tightening into a fist as lightning danced in his eyes.

The moment he took the first step, though, a wide jet of flames shot toward him, and he was forced to weave around in an attempt to get close. The firebending hitman just kept shooting gouts of flame at the speedster from every angle, twisting and turning midair to send an arc of fire sweeping toward him faster than he could dodge. Instead, Barry thought at superspeed and ran toward him full-tilt, falling into a slide that brought him under the horizontal arc and within ten feet of his target. Immediately, Barry leapt upright into a sprint and brought his fist into the side of Blackout's head.

The firebender flew back, landing on his side as he shot a flame burst in Barry's direction on reflex. He dodged it easily, approaching for another shot and landing it in his gut, anger beginning to drive his punches as his father flashed through his vision. _This is for Henry Allen, you son of a bitch!_ He danced around Gibran, leveling speed punches on him from every angle until he collapsed, then stood over the criminal with a furious scowl on his face.

"You think you can just go around this city," Barry yelled, "killing whoever you want? And for what, _money_?!"

He sneered in disgust, right hand curling into a fist as he prepared to knock his lights out. That's when Blackout lifted his right arm.

And stuck two fingers outward.

Barry tensed instantly, ready to dodge the attack…until he realized it wasn't aimed at him. Dread sinking into his heart, the speedster turned to look at Blackout's target, finding a woman dressed as a secretary trying to make a break for the exit. She froze when she saw the maniac pointing his hand at her, eyes wide in terror and mouth widening as a scream built in her throat.

Blue light erupted from Gibran's hand.

Barry barely hesitated.

Everything around him slowed to a crawl as his legs pumped again and again, desperately trying to outrun the lightning streaking toward the screaming woman. It raced alongside him, its deadly arcs dancing through the air as his own lightning ran behind him. The upper lip of his hoodie plastered itself to his forehead as he ran faster than he'd ever tried, desperation driving his every step. Finally, she was within arm's reach. He tackled her out of the room as soon as his fingers closed around her shoulders, landing in an office space as both of them collapsed to their knees, her back to the wall.

Barry was breathing heavily. "You—you're okay, ma'am. It's gonna be oka—" Blue eyes widened as he looked down from her face. "No," he choked out.

His hand hovered over her chest, terrified to touch her, but knowing it wouldn't make a difference. Finally, his fingers brushed the charred remains of dead skin, the electrical burn deep and severe. His heart wrenched as his eyes closed, burning hot as the fires he'd narrowly escaped.

"I'm…I'm so sorry."

The woman coughed up blood, her hand weakly brushing his. "You—tried."

Her eyes glassed over a moment later, a quiet breath leaving her mouth as her body went limp in his arms. Tears fell from his eyes as his hooded head laid against her shoulder, sobs shaking his body until he abruptly stopped himself. Giving her one last look and closing her eyes, Barry ran back into the other room and searched every corner, finding only civilians. A growl proceeded from his throat, stifled by the grief he had managed to keep under wraps for more than the past couple of seconds, but for the last six years. Clenching a fist to anchor himself, Barry turned his attention to the massive metal door blocking the civilians from escaping this deathtrap and ran around to find the lock.

The moment his eyes alighted on it, he sprinted over and put both hands on the bolt, then vibrated them at an increasing speed until the metal began to give. It shattered after about ten seconds of work, allowing him to shove the door open.

"Get out of here!" he shouted to them, fists tightening when they just stared at him openmouthed. "Go!"

As one, they snapped into action and spilled out the exit as he ran outside to verify their safety, then back inside to collect the body of the woman Blackout had killed. The woman he had _failed_. A family would be mourning, a husband widowed, a child orphaned, perhaps. And that was on _him_. The rational part of his head told him that he _couldn't_ have saved her, that it wasn't physically possible. That part of his head was shut down almost instantly. Barry dropped her body in an ambulance in the blink of an eye, then ran off into the streets, hoping desperately to outrun his grief.

Since the acquisition of his speed, it had been one of his sole coping mechanisms, especially since he didn't have the funds to stress eat. Now, not even running was enough. He finally made his way to his apartment and slammed the door behind him as the hoodie came off and landed on his bed, the rest of his clothes following as he sped into the shower and turned on the coldest water he could get. His entire body was shaking, his legs giving out as he slumped to the floor of the shower and sobbed again and again.

How stupid could he be? He was a CSI, not some hero. Hell, he wasn't even a cop. He was the geek the _real_ cops just tolerated. Sure, he could run fast, but he wasn't invincible, or even adequate. Today had taught him that beyond the shadow of a doubt. Eleven, seventeen. He still wasn't strong enough. He would always be late, too late to help when it really mattered. How could he face his coworkers after this? How could he face Korra? His eyes snapped open. _Korra!_ He was supposed to meet her tonight. Could he after this?

Surely, someone would've seen an unexplainable blur at the scene. The media would be going nuts by the time ten o'clock rolled around. Questions would abound. Chief Beifong…Chief Beifong would be looking for this mysterious blur. He would never feel safe. His arms tightened around his knees, everything in him twisted in despair. He was too late.

He was always too late.

…

4 hours later

9:50 PM

Korra wheeled herself toward her room, off the handy earth elevator the Air Acolytes had built for her use. Still not trusting her body enough to bend that much, she'd asked Bolin to do it, and he'd agreed with a smile. Now, she was entering her room after a long day of noodle-hunting, interrupted by spurts of Bolin antics and visits to Mako and Asami. The former had vanished early in the day, pulled off to a case and, probably, to that disaster in the industrial district later on.

Reports were still coming in about all the damage, but as far as she knew, there had only been one fatality, far less than she'd expected considering the magnitude of the fire and the reputation of the perpetrator. Apparently, Farooq "Blackout" Gibran had been in business for over a decade. Finding him so readily would've been a major break for the police, who'd been hunting him just as long as he'd been working. Unfortunately, by the time they got inside, he was already gone. _Tough break. Bet that pissed Beifong off._

She wheeled down the hall, her arms already well used to the effort required for mobility nowadays, her hand reaching for the doorknob—

Korra froze, her fingers inches from the handle as she strained to listen inside. _Maybe I was wrong. He can't already be—_ Another sound from inside that sounded suspiciously like a sneeze. Her eyes widened. _Okay, maybe he can_. She opened the door, noting the open window and wheeling inside a second later, eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she looked around for Gabriel's constantly moving figure, always peppy as Bolin. Instead, she flicked the lights on to find him huddled in a corner, crying like a child.

Dark blue eyes widened as alarm swept through her. _Okay. Auburn hair, check. Wiry frame, check. Upbeat attitude…not so much._

"Gabriel?" she asked softly, airbending the door closed as she slowly approached him. "Gabriel?" she repeated when she closed to about four feet.

His body tensed, head tipping up only slightly as he looked at her with shadowed eyes. He looked like a frightened child. _Spirits, how old_ is _he, anyway?_ Korra tentatively reached out a hand, emboldened when he didn't pull away, and laid it on his knee. When he still didn't move, she traced her way up to his jacketed arm, then to his shoulder.

"Gabriel, what happened?"

He hiccupped once as his shoulders shook, most of his head still in the shadows cast by his knees and arms, but enough visible for her to see the reddened eyes and tear-streaks. "I—" he sobbed again, "—I wasn't fast enough."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"That building…in the industrial district. I wasn't—" sob, "—fast enough."

Korra blinked several times. "What are you talking about? Witnesses say they got shoved into the street faster than they could blink, and some of them say something stopped Blackout from killing the manager and over a dozen others."

"It—wasn't enough." He tucked his head under his arms. "He killed her."

"Who?" she asked softly.

"A woman. Secretary, I think. He shot lightning at her. I saw it coming. Tried to save her. Tackled her into another room. The lightning hit her first." His fingers brushed against his chest. "Right…here."

 _Her heart. She never stood a chance._

"And if I'd gotten to her just a second earlier—"

"No," Korra said, gently but firmly, cutting him off.

He blinked several times. "What?"

Her hands went to his shoulders, eyes staring into his. "There was nothing you could've done that you didn't. If you had just stood there and let her die, then yes, I would blame you, and so would the police." Her head shook. "But you didn't, and I don't. You tried to save her. You _tried_ , Gabriel." Her thumbs rubbed circled into his shoulders, feeling the tension ebb from them little by little. "Sometimes, that's all you can do. Sometimes, you can't save everyone. It sucks…the hardest lesson I've had to learn…but it's true."

He gulped hard, uncurling just enough for his tear-stained face to be seen. "You know—" he choked out a laugh, "—she said that. The woman said that before she died. That I tried."

Her hands tightened around his shoulders. "It was her way of saying she didn't blame you, that you did everything you could. And she was right."

"I wasn't fast enough," he breathed.

"And sometimes you won't be…but…those people you saved, the ones who are with their friends and families right now, who _would have_ died in that fire…they're alive because of you. You can't save them all, no one can, but to them, you were fast enough. You made the difference in their lives between life and death, and trust me…it's enough."

"Not to me," he protested bitterly.

"No, and we always have to get better. We're not allowed to settle for 'enough,' not if we can help it, but Gabriel…sometimes we can't, and we have to take solace in the ones we saved instead of obsessing over those we lost." Korra smiled a little. "A friend once told me that when we lose confidence in ourselves, we need hope the most." Her hands traced over his shoulders to his arms. "You were that for me. Can I be that for you, Gabriel?"

He just stared at her for a few seconds, tears sliding down his cheeks, before launching himself into her open arms and burying his face in her chest, silently letting everything out. Korra just held him, her fingers stroking his hair and noting absently how soft it was as they stayed there in silent comfort. A full minute passed before the silence was broken.

"Barry."

Korra blinked. "What?"

He backed up to about arm's length, sniffling and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "My name," he choked out, voice steadying. "It's Barry. Barry Allen."

The Avatar stared into his eyes for a few moments, noting the same pain as when he'd spoken of his parents and filing that away for future reference, then smiled warmly as she gripped his shoulders again. "Pleased to meet you, Barry."

He sputtered a few times before his throat cleared enough to let loose a laugh, both of them letting go and not caring who heard them. He stopped a few seconds later, grinning for the first time in their conversation. _Good. That looks better on him._ They looked at each other for a while, both smiling until his vision turned downward and eyes closed, his body leaning back into hers as they embraced again.

"Thank you, Korra," he whispered.

She smiled wider and tightened her hold around him. "Anytime, Barry."

* * *

AN: Through research, I found that Korra of canon returned to the South Pole immediately after Jinora's ceremony, but for the purposes of this story, she stays in Republic City for at least most of her recovery.


	4. Light

Light (n.): the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible; alternatively, understanding of a problem or mystery; enlightenment.

6 months later

Police HQ, Republic City

6 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Just once, for the record."

Barry looked up at Chief Beifong, jaw tightening as his vision flickered over to Korra, who smiled at him supportingly. "And you can make sure this never gets out?"

Lin nodded solemnly. "On my honor, kid."

He took a long breath, letting it out slowly as his hands clasped on the table in front of him. He glanced at the active recorder, then at Korra, then looked straight into the camera, jaw set.

"To understand what I'm about to tell you, you need to believe in the impossible."

…

8 days earlier

9:55 PM

Republic City, Financial—Industrial—Residential District

A red blur trailing gold lightning streaked across the entirety of Republic City, moving from one section to another in the space of seconds as it crossed bridges, thoroughfares, and rooftops. It had a goal in sight, a fire in a lower-class residential district where dozens of people were trapped on the twelfth floor of a tenement building. Screams sounded from above as it assessed the situation from a nearby rooftop, then took a running leap into a window on the twelfth floor. One by one, the residents were found and isolated in a more stable section of the floor to buy time, the stairwell blocked. Another ten seconds, and it was cleared halfway before the ceiling next to the door collapsed, forcing the red blur to pull back.

He stared at the group, red hood pulled over his features and making the air feel even more stifling than it already was. _There's gotta be a way._ He glanced at the window from which he entered, jaw tightening as he realized what he would have to do. It wasn't going to be easy. He may have run on walls quite a lot in the last six months, but never while carrying so many people, and this floor was getting weaker by the second. Taking another second to perform a quick calculation, he grabbed the nearest civilian and started running. A flash of gold lightning set a child down next to a fire truck, two more depositing her parents next to her seconds later.

Flash. Flash. Flash. Flash.

Person after person appeared in the street, skin and clothes blackened by the smoke, but little the worse for wear. There were still eight left in the building. He ran back up the wall, sprinting inside the twelfth floor and dashing to the side when a chunk of burning rubble fell from the ceiling, nearly singeing his hood off. He tackled two more residents out another window, looping around front to deposit them near an ambulance, then went back in for more even as the ceiling began to collapse in chunks. A support beam failed, the streak pulling the three residents under its ceiling out of the way as more beams began to groan.

 _Faster, faster,_ faster _!_

Flash. Flash. Rubble. Flash.

Another chunk of rubble fell, threatening to crush a small boy, but the blur slid underneath it and swept him away at the last second, using his empty shoulder to carry the boy's mother out. _One left to save._ And what a save it was. The entire twelfth floor, and every floor below it, collapsed from weakened structural integrity, causing stairwells, tiles, and metal struts to all combine in a deadly indoor rain. The streak forewent the nonexistent window and instead came from inside, barreling through a collapsed stairwell as rubble fell all around him. He used some of it to catapult himself upward one floor after the next, bursting through the doorway of the twelfth-floor stairwell about three seconds into the collapse.

And he saw the last one, forty feet away, a broken metal strut heading straight for his chest while the rest of the building threatened to crush what that didn't kill. He wasted no time. Wallrun, debris jump, shove falling drywall aside. Dodge an incoming pole with a run up a wall to the ceiling, then loop back to the ground. Dodge the crack in the flooring, leap forward through the last eight feet. His arms wrapped around the man's chest as he tackled him through a weakened wall and into a twelve-story free-fall. _Oh crap. Didn't think that one through._ His hand lashed out as they sped through the air, catching on the sill of an adjacent building's window.

They hung suspended for a few moments, the streak's face vibrating to conceal his identity as his vocal cords did the same. "Are you all right?"

The man's eyes went wide as saucers as he saw the large distance to the ground.

A sigh left the streak's throat before he let go and ran down the side of the building, depositing him in the cluster of shell-shocked residents before zipping off toward the waterfront.

…

10:07 PM

Air Temple Island

Korra checked her room's clock for the sixth time as it ticked toward 10:08 and counted down in her head. _Three, two, one._

Lightning struck, and he was there just inside her window, grinning widely as her eyes roved over his blackened frame. When she kept staring with a small smirk, he raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"You, uh, have something on your clothes."

Barry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion until he looked down, then paled a little. "Oh, uh, sorry, I was uh—" he patted himself down at super-speed, knocking black puffs off his clothes and person, "—fighting a fire and I kinda lost track of time and—"

She broke out laughing before remembering to keep it down. "Barry, how many times have we had this conversation? I mean, out of every night you've visited me, there's only _one_ occasion I can remember that you were _actually_ on time."

Both their faces fell a little at the reminder.

"But hey, I'm not really one to talk, considering my lack of mobility."

" _Partial_ lack of mobility," Barry corrected, smiling as she managed to push herself upright rather shakily.

Korra struggled to find her balance, breathing heavily for a few seconds until her eyes closed, and she focused hard. They snapped open when the image of a bald man in a brown robe flashed through her vision, his body descending toward her with deadly intent. A small yelp shot from her throat as her legs collapsed beneath her, the nearby speedster catching her before she even fell halfway.

"Whoa, it's okay," he said softly, soothingly. "You're okay. You're okay." His hand made soothing motions against her back, the appendage vibrating gently and sending a comfortable heat spreading across her back.

Bit by bit, Korra's breathing slowed and her death grip on Barry's empty arm relaxed until it was just a little tight. "Thanks," she breathed shakily, remembering the first time he'd held her like this.

It was a little over five months ago, when Tonraq came with Katara from the South Pole to try and speed up the healing process. He'd been visiting and talking like always and they'd lost track of time to the point that Barry had actually fallen asleep in her arms. The next thing she knew, he was there, arms around her, trying to calm her down as she thrashed about, still halfway in the throes of a nightmare. Her shoulder had gotten caught on a sharp edge of the bedframe and cut, blood dripping onto the newly changed sheets. Barry had also gotten more than a few hard whacks for his trouble, much to her mortification.

He'd brushed it off and set about looking at the wound on her shoulder, freezing in place when Katara and Korra's father burst through the door, having heard the audible results of her night terror. Before Tonraq could summon water from the bay and pulverize the boy, Korra had calmed him down and gotten both waterbenders to take a seat while she told them everything. Three weeks had passed since she had met Barry, but they were the first to be told about his now-nightly visits, Asami following the next morning. After the rather visceral reaction her father had to his presence, she felt the need to inform her best friend, considering she was the one most likely to barge into her room without warning.

The dark-haired woman had taken it rather well, taking a shine to the suddenly shy forensic scientist almost instantly at his optimistic, upbeat attitude. That night, however, when she began explaining the details of her nightmare to Tonraq, Katara, and Barry, he had been anything but upbeat. He'd frowned deeply in concern, laying a hand on her injured shoulder absently when she told of the way the Red Lotus forced the mercury poison into her pores. When her hands started trembling, he'd remembered their first meeting and started vibrating his hand. Two minutes in, she'd nearly jumped out of her skin. To everyone's shock, Barry had been vibrating so fast that his hands had started producing the electricity that trailed behind him when he ran. Tonraq had been livid, despite Barry's profuse apologies—that is, until Korra said it hadn't hurt, and Katara saw her newly sealed shoulder.

Mind returning to the present, Korra looked back at Barry, noting his intense stare.

He pursed his lips with a concerned look and furrowed eyebrows. "You don't have to thank me. Any one of your friends would've done the same. Honestly, I don't know why you won't open up to them like this."

Korra frowned as she leaned her head against the speedster's shoulder, absently noting that he had carried her to sit on her bed, his hand still against her back. "They…" she gulped, "I don't think they'd understand. At least, not most of them."

His brows furrowed as his hand moved to her lower spine. "Meaning?"

She huffed and closed her eyes, leaning into him even more as the warmth began to spread across her entire body, soothing and comforting and _soooo_ nice. "I don't know. It's like…like I'm so used to them seeing me as the Avatar, this…being of incredible power." She tucked her arms against her chest and rubbed them. "Not some crippled girl who can barely take a few steps on her own."

"You know they wouldn't judge you for that," he reprimanded softly.

"I know," she sighed. "I just…I don't want them to see me like this. Weak. Vulnerable." She snorted. "Pitiful."

"Stop it," Barry interjected firmly. "You're not pitiful in the slightest, _or_ weak. Injured, yeah, that one's a fact. Vulnerable? Absolutely. But anyone who even dares to classify you as pitiful would get a sense-inducing beatdown—from all your friends, I'd think."

Korra smirked wryly. "Even if it's me?"

Barry chuckled. "Uh, _yeah_. Though we'd have to be gentle about it."

She couldn't help but giggle at him, looping her arms around his torso as he tucked her head under his chin, holding her close while both hands vibrated against her back. "You're amazing, you know that?" She felt his chest rumble with laughter.

"Thank you. You're pretty awesome too."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

His eyebrows shot up as he grinned and held her at arm's length. "Oh really?"

"Mhm," she said seriously, her face as sober as ever though internally she wanted to giggle.

His smile started to widen until it took on an evil quality she'd learned to spot over the last half-year.

"Barry, don't you dare—"

His hands moved at rapid speed, ruffling her hair out of its Asami-crafted style, causing the long locks to spill around her head haphazardly.

Korra just stared at him openmouthed as he grinned like an idiot, then put his hand on his chin as a look of intense concentration was plastered to his face. "Allen," she hissed through clenched teeth, "I swear I'm gonna—"

"Needs something special," he muttered just loud enough to cut her off, eyes narrowing in focus as his expression genuinely sobered.

Before Korra could ask about or protest whatever he was about to do, his body was suddenly a dark blur against the dim lights of her room, his hands moving around her head at a speed too rapid to process. Just seconds after he began, it was over, and he stepped back to observe his handiwork. A frown creased his young features.

"I dunno. S'okay I guess, but I think I can do better."

She blinked at him owlishly. "What?"

Instead of answering her question, he said, "Nah," and went back to work undoing everything. Her hair fell around her in an unkempt mop once again. "Okay, maybe…oh, that's beautiful!"

And he was at it again, even his blurred features showing a massive grin as his hands kept whirling around her head, the lightning dancing off them sending pleasant sensations wherever it hit. Finally, he was done, and evidently so proud of his work that he zipped over to her desk to get her a hand mirror. When she took it from his hands, she gave him a skeptical look before holding it up for her viewing. What she saw was…different. Where Asami and she herself had elected to braid her hair or put it up in variations of ponytails, Barry…Barry let it all hang down, flowing over her shoulders in waves, simple yet elegant in its simplicity.

"Barry…this is…wow." She smiled widely.

"What?" he asked nervously. "You don't like it?"

"Wh—No, it's just…different."

He sighed heavily and let his shoulders slump. "You don't like it," he repeated sullenly, lifting his hands to her head.

"No," she interrupted, stopping his hands. "I do. I really do. It's different from anything I've worn before, but…that's not to say that's a bad thing." Korra smirked. "I mean, didn't we already decide to try something new every once in a while?"

He blinked and shrugged. "I guess."

They were both silent a while until Barry's expression turned serious.

"Should we start on the left leg now?"

Korra blinked, gulped, then nodded as apprehension overtook her.

When Katara had seen what Barry could do five months ago, she told him to try it again. The youth had dutifully obeyed, vibrating his hand to an extreme speed until golden electricity danced around his fingers. Then she'd used some nearby water to give herself a small cut on the arm and told him to keep it up while he put his hand over it. He had, and the wound had not only sealed, but formed new skin to close it up completely. If it weren't for the pale qualities of the newer skin, no one could've told she'd been cut at all. Taking this into account, as well as her own limitations and responsibilities elsewhere, Katara had spent the two weeks she'd stayed in Republic City teaching Barry everything he needed to know to continue the healing sessions she performed with Korra, and he had, dutifully, every night.

Tonight was just a little different. The day had already started horribly when a thunderstorm had sent water pouring through her open window, soaking her and half the room before she managed to close the shutters and seal it out. Things had just gone downhill from there, from getting covered in muddy water from a passing car to getting a newly-acquired Future Industries watch stolen by a pickpocket. Another food-hunting trip with Bolin had ended badly when she got a minor case of food poisoning and been sent straight back to Air Temple Island with an apology and get-well wishes. She'd then spent the rest of her miserable day either staring blankly into the rolling waves or retching into a bucket provided by Asami while the other girl performed a makeover on the despondent Avatar.

Honestly, she'd half-expected Barry to not even show up, just to cap off her terrible, horrible, no-good, _very_ bad day. But he had, and as she looked up at his familiar wiry frame and wind-blown hair, she couldn't be more grateful.

He gave her a reassuring smile and nod. "Lay back."

Korra took a deep breath as she obeyed, head laying against her newly fluffed pillow as she forced her body to relax, her eyes closing. Something warm and comforting entered her hand, and she gripped it tightly, recognizing it belatedly as Barry's hand.

"Now," he began, his thumb running circles over her hand, "we're gonna start out slow, okay?"

Korra took another breath and nodded, the warmth of his hand leaving hers before two of them were placed on her left leg, just above the calf. He looked to her for confirmation, and she gave him one more nod. And then his hands began to vibrate at massive speeds. After about ten seconds, lightning began to dance off the surfaces of his palms, the small strikes growing in number and frequency as he kept focusing. Barry took a deep breath and released it slowly as he lowered his hands to the surface of her leg, the Avatar taking a hissing breath as the gentle shocks danced across her skin.

"Do it," she hissed, her hands fisting in the sheets.

He complied without a word, his vibrating palms pressing directly against her skin as she gasped in a breath, eyes flying wide open. "Remember," he said softly, hands still working. "Remember what Katara said."

Korra took a few heavy breaths waiting for him to speak again in his soothing tenor.

"Healing this is as much mind as body. You have to face it all, find a higher meaning in the memories."

Zaheer flashed through her vision as she closed her eyes, breathing increasing in pace as her chest began to throb. His cold eyes bore into her, his hands moving as a ball-shaped vacuum was formed around her head, the air leaving her lungs in a steady stream.

"Focus, Korra. Don't leave. Stay in the moment."

Korra was breathing so hard she couldn't breathe.

"Stay with me," Barry's soft voice pleaded.

"I—can't," she gasped, voice breaking.

One hand moved from her leg to her chest, right over her heart, not vibrating but perfectly still, a comparison for the overtaxed organ to work toward. "Breathe, Korra. Just breathe."

She was, still far too fast.

"Feel the air."

A gentle breeze wafted over her as a wind funnel stirred around her and Zaheer.

"Feel that wind on your face."

Her lungs stopped burning so much as oxygen entered them.

"Listen to it, to the waves outside your window. Constantly pushing and pulling, giving and getting like the life we live."

Her chest stopped throbbing as the vortex pulled her and the homicidal airbender from the sky.

"Feel the ground beneath you, immovable, always constant until you choose to change it."

Her heart began to slow, a shuddering breath escaping her lungs as her glowing eyes opened, locking onto Zaheer like a tiger shark on its prey.

"Feel the heat—that fire you lit in the window, the one you always light as a beacon for me."

A determined warmth settled in her gut, her arm snapping up to coil a chain around a fleeing Zaheer's leg.

"And the lightning, Korra. Feel the lightning."

Triumph sang in her core, in her very soul, as she dragged Zaheer through the air, down to earth.

"Feel its power, its electricity. Crackling, traveling to every nerve in your body like a _shock_."

Tremors vibrated through her bare feet as she hit the ground a second before Zaheer, his robed body smacking the rocky soil with a satisfying crunch.

"You're no longer you."

Fear, overwhelming fear as she fell to the ground, the poison coursing through her veins and pulling her under.

"You're a part of something greater."

Zaheer groaned in pain as he was encased in rock while she was encased in the loving arms of her father, the airbenders and every friend she'd ever known clustering around her in silent support.

"A part of every man, woman, and child in the world; you are their hopes and dreams and fears and frailties."

Zaheer's smug, cruel laughter as she passed into the place between life and death, claiming final victory over the Avatar and order itself.

"You're a part of humanity _and_ the spirit world."

The hopeful gazes as every soul present except one watched Suyin Beifong attempt to metalbend the poison out of her.

"You're the _Avatar_ , the representative of life and light itself."

She breathed again as the mercury exited her body, eyes dulling to their usual dark blue as they locked onto Tonraq's face, her lips tipping upward as she took in his visage, very much alive and well despite Zaheer's efforts.

"And you're my friend. My best friend. The best thing that ever happened to me."

Surprise, shock, and elation as red and charcoal gray flashed in her vision and she was carried away over the water on a bolt of lightning.

"You're my light, Korra. And if I have anything to say about it, you're never gonna get put out. I promise."

Relief and release as she pushed into his chest, tears leaving her along with so much tension and heartache.

"I promise."

Dark blue eyes snapped open as a calm, even breath entered Korra's lungs, her eyes locking onto his instantly as he looked at her with care and affection enough to make her heart burst. She exhaled slowly, savoring the feel of the moment before looking down to find her right hand clasped in two of his. She tightened her grip and began to pull as he leaned back, her legs planting on the ground and eyes flickering up to his encouraging smile. Another breath was taken and exhaled as she leaned forward and began to straighten, putting more and more of her weight on her legs as she stood upright and erect. Her eyes locked onto his once again when she didn't feel any shakes or see flashes of Zaheer in her mind's eye.

He slowly let go of her hand and stepped back, smiling all the while as she took a tentative step forward. Her left foot planted about eight inches forward from her right, legs steady and unyielding under her weight. Her gaze flickered to him briefly before she looked down again and took another, longer step, this time with her right. It planted solidly, and she took another, spreading her feet apart and forming a traditional earthbending stance. Everything was steady, without a single tremor or hesitation in her movements.

"Barry," she breathed. A shuddering breath left her lungs before an ear-to-ear grin split her face and she lunged for him—at which point, both legs gave out, turning her leap into a forward flop.

He caught her instantly, arms around her torso as he gently lifted her back to her feet, still smiling. "Wanna take it easy there. Don't overextend yourself too quickly."

Breathing a little heavily as her heart raced from the sudden drop, Korra nodded rapidly, a smile coming to her face once again. "I can walk," she exhaled. "Barry, I can _walk_."

He grinned at her, nodding in confirmation. "That you can, Miss Avatar. That you can."

She pressed her face into his chest, arms wrapping around him as he held her close.

"So…I hesitate to ask, but…what did you find? When the visions came, that is."

The smile left her face to be replaced by a small frown, but, surprisingly, little of the apprehension or nauseating fear that she'd experienced in the past while thinking on the subject. "I…I don't know exactly. I guess…I guess I figured out that I wasn't alone anymore, that I…have my friends and family and…and you." She chuckled sadly. "You know, the day we met, before we met, all I wanted was to go back home, away from Mako and the others, away from all this." She motioned out her window. "And then you swept me up…and everything seemed a little brighter."

Korra looked up at his gently smiling face. "I'll never be able to repay you for that."

Barry smiled wider, the skin near his eyes crinkling. "I dunno about that." He grinned toothily. "I feel pretty well paid."

She chuckled lightly and closed her eyes again, her arms looping around his torso as he escorted her back to bed. The door clicked open, and both turned to see Asami shuffling inside.

"Sorry," she smiled, eyes flickering to Korra's legs, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Nope," Korra answered. "Just got done with another healing session." Her eyes flashed in excitement. "Speaking of which—" a look to Barry, who nodded, "—check this out."

Asami watched with wide eyes and rapt attention as Korra disengaged from Barry's support and straightened up with a little effort, taking the necessary steps to reach Asami and extend her fist, which the woman beamed at and bumped without hesitation.

"Nice work, Barry Allen," Asami chuckled.

"Hey," he said with a shrug and a nod at Korra, "this was as much her as me. I just helped things along."

Korra laughed and nudged his arm. "Barry, has anyone ever told you that you're way too modest?"

He crossed his arms defensively, one eyebrow raised. "No, but nobody ever hesitates to remind me that I'm always late."

The trio shared a chuckle at that, interrupted only by Korra's massive and very audible yawn, which spawned another round of laughter.

"Well," Barry snickered, "I think that's my cue to leave."

"You sure?" Asami asked with raised eyebrows, reaching toward a bag hanging at her hip and pulling out a box. "I got a case of Lo Mein from that shop you like on 45th."

Barry's blue eyes widened to their max as they flickered from the box to Asami and back. A long sigh left his lips. "You certainly know your way around bribery, Ms. Sato."

Asami grinned and handed him the box, pulling one out for Korra and handing it to her as she sat next to her on the bed. "It's a gift," she drawled dismissively with a toss of her hair.

Barry blushed a little and quickly averted his eyes, focusing on the aforementioned candle in the window. "Honestly, though, I do have to go. Work in the morning. Chief Beifong'll have my head if I'm late to another crime scene."

Korra snorted. "Come on, Barry. You're _always_ late," she added with a small waggle of her eyebrows.

The speedster just shook his head and laughed, then glanced at them both with a mischievous smirk. His Lo Mein was consumed in a matter of seconds and the box deposited in the trash. "And with _that_ tidbit of sage wisdom," he said teasingly, "I'm off to bed. See ya, ladies."

"See ya, Bear."

With a flash of lightning and a gust of wind, he was gone, and Korra was suddenly aware of a dangerous look on Asami's face. The Avatar rolled her eyes and faced her friend.

"What?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

Asami gave her a knowing smirk before leaning down toward her bowl. "He likes you." A wad of fried veal vanished into her mouth.

Korra snorted a laugh. "Well, yeah, he's my friend. One of my best friends."

The Sato heir sighed and raised an eyebrow sarcastically. "You _know_ that's not what I meant."

Korra's smile vanished. "Oh," she said quietly, suddenly feeling her chest tighten and the room become very hot. She leaned forward, head between her knees as Asami's hand pressed comfortingly against her back.

"Whoa, Korra, take it easy. You're okay. You're okay."

Korra took a few more labored breaths as Asami rubbed her back soothingly, though not the way Barry could. A small snort left her when she found herself comparing Asami to Barry.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that…revelation would cause that kind of a reaction in you."

She waved her off. "It's fine, 'Sami." Another deep breath as she straightened. "It's just…even if you're right—"

"Which I am."

Korra rolled her eyes. "Even if you're right, I can't…I'm not ready to deal with that right now."

A glint entered Asami's uncommonly gorgeous green eyes. "Really?"

Korra didn't like her tone, or the look on her face. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." She smiled into her food, pushing some of it around for a bit before adding, "So does that mean you like him back?"

"W-What? No! I mean…yeah, as a friend."

"Uh huh," Asami drawled disbelievingly. "He's cute."

The Avatar went red. "He—I mean, yeah, but—Asami, he's cute in a Bolin sort of way, all goofy and geeky and…and Bolin's like a little brother to me."

Asami raised a raven eyebrow. "Does Barry feel like a little brother to you?"

Korra opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. She closed it with an audible click and turned away, noting that the candle in the window had gone out. "No," she muttered quietly. "But that doesn't mean I like him that way."

"No, of course not…but that also doesn't mean that you _don't_. Or, at least, that you _can't_."

Korra just sighed and slumped over. "Okay, let's say for the sake of _discussion_ that you're right, that there is something between us more than friendship. I still can't handle being in a relationship, not now. Not for a long time, probably."

"And I'm not saying you should push it, but…take it from me, Korra." Asami frowned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Unresolved or unexpressed feelings can be just as damaging as poison. With powerful emotions, it's often best to get everything out in the open." She put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm not saying you should address it now, because it sounds to me like you don't even know what's going on. Just don't avoid the subject when you find yourself alone with your thoughts, okay?"

Korra gave her a glance and sighed with a smile and nod. "Okay."

Asami smiled warmly and patted her shoulder once more before standing. "Sleep well, Korra."

"Yeah, you too."

As Asami pulled the covers over her shoulders and left, Korra snuggled into the pillows and gave a contented sigh, a grin coming to her face as she moved her legs freely, nearly kicking the blanket off in her unbridled excitement. Slowly but surely, she calmed down, a stupid, gleeful grin still plastered to her face as she opened her eyes and looked toward the window, debating whether to leave it open or closed. Then her gaze alighted on the extinguished candle, and her lips parted slightly as a gentle breath left them.

 _You're my light, Korra. And if I have anything to say about it, you're never gonna get put out. I promise._

Her lips turned upward as one hand left the heat of her comforter and extended, fingers splayed outward as a small stream of fire left her fingers.

The light of her candle burned well past dawn.

* * *

AN: Barry's ability to heal others is completely canon according to the comics, since some Speedforce Conduits (what speedsters are called in DC Comics) can use their connection to the Speedforce to create a localized energy field that accelerates a person's natural healing process. The Flash also uses this ability on Cisco in season 1, episode 18.

The next few chapters comprise the birth of the Flash, so stay tuned for epicness, and as always, feel free to review at your leisure.

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - The Fastest Man Alive/Always Late: start-0:48—"you need to believe in the impossible" to overlooking the building, 0:48-1:25—evacuating the building, 1:25-1:48—the last save, 1:48-2:28—Three, two, one to "actually on time"


	5. Exposed

Exposed (adj.): left or being without shelter or protection, to sight or harm.

Present

Police HQ, Republic City

6 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

Lin rubbed a hand over her face, sitting sideways on the table between her and Barry. "You've gotta admit, this is all sounding pretty fantastic. If I hadn't seen you in action myself, I might not believe it, and neither would the rest of Republic City."

Barry snorted a laugh. "And I wouldn't blame you. I didn't believe it either at first, didn't even know how it happened."

"But you do now?"

"I do. And it's important, because the same person that inadvertently gave me my abilities is the one that tried to expose me."

…

3 days earlier

Police HQ, Republic City

6 months

"Oh come on, you useless—" Mako hit the typewriter one last time before it sputtered to a halt. "Ugh!"

"Technical difficulties?" Barry chuckled as he passed by.

"You could say that," the detective grumbled before leaping from his seat animatedly and running after the crime scene investigator. "Hey, Bear, I got a question."

"Hm?"

"That firebender, Gibran, the one that resurfaced?"

Barry's expression sobered. "Yeah?"

"Was—" Mako shifted a bit, "—wasn't he there the night your parents were killed?"

The CSI's face darkened. "Yes," he answered flatly.

Mako cleared his throat nervously. "I realize it's gotta be a sore subject. I'm sorry for bringin' it up."

Barry shrugged. "Not really. It's a perfectly normal question…though I am a little curious why you know about my parents' case."

"Uh," he chuckled sheepishly, "well…after that industrial fiasco six months ago…I got the feeling there was something to the case that struck you personally, especially when you inspected the body."

"Oh," Barry said quietly. "Yeah, I…I'd just seen that kind of fire before."

"It was used to burn down your house."

Allen nodded sullenly. "Before…before the fire was set, Blackout and his…partner, I think, found me. They didn't just want to kill my parents."

"They wanted to wipe out the whole Allen family."

Barry nodded slowly.

"So when I escaped down a ventilation shaft, they set the fire to make sure I died."

"But you didn't."

"No, thankfully."

The pair walked together, Mako escorting Barry to his lab silently. "Barry…I recognize that we're not exactly the closest of friends—" he snorted a laugh, "—and I'm not exactly the most sensitive person, but…if you ever need to talk about it…"

Barry flashed him a smile. "I gotcha, man." He patted Mako's shoulder. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

Mako smiled back and stuck his hands in his pockets as he made for the door. "I'll be in the bullpen if you need me."

"Yep."

Barry sighed and leaned over a high-magnification lens, inspecting a fiber sample from a recent robbery by the Triple Threat Triad, a small smile coming to his face. Mako was wrong. Apart from Korra, the detective was the closest friend he had. When they'd first met, Korra had worried that he was alone, and he'd assured her he wasn't. In retrospect, he might as well have been. Before the…"accident" that gave him his abilities, Barry had spent every moment of his day either at work or alone at home. No one really knew him outside the office, outside of his peppy, geeky CSI persona. After the accident…

A snort left his nose as he leaned back in his chair, not really focused on the work since it wasn't particularly urgent. Over the last six months, he'd found himself wondering more and more often about the circumstances of the two major turning points in his life, both at age eleven and age seventeen. Maybe it was the fact that he'd been working to heal Korra from emotional and physical injuries of the same or worse severity than his, or that he'd been using his powers to a far more massive degree to help the people of his city. Whatever the case, his nightmare-memories had increased in both frequency and severity, each iteration more vivid and detailed than the last. It was like his mind was trying to iron out every detail of those nights for some reason.

Sighing heavily at his inability to focus, Barry pushed his rolling chair away from the desk and looked out toward the waterfront from his third-story window in the precinct. Even from this far away, he could see dark shapes moving on Air Temple Island, and that piqued his interest. There hadn't been that much movement there in recent memory unless…

A grin spread over his features, and he glanced toward the door with a mischievous glint in his eye before looking back out the window. A gust of wind was left in his wake as he sprinted out. Minutes later, he was running across the water, right toward the island, where he could see the shapes start to take form. His eyes widened. _Woah._ Gouts of flame were being launched in several different directions, earth picking itself up and shooting toward a cluster of set-up targets as a water whip sliced another in two. A gust of wind threw Barry's approach vector off, and he was forced to readjust, especially when he saw the White Lotus guards clustered around the freaking _Avatar_ , who was, against the better judgement of those around her, exerting her newly regained legs.

Barry had to restrain a groan when he ran into the window of her room and sat on the sill, watching Korra go through several bending forms with an intensity he hadn't seen in months. _Well at least she's focused, but that doesn't mean—_

His eyes widened and entire body tensed when she leapt in the air for a fire roundhouse but lost her balance on the way down and landed wrong, on the edge of her foot. She toppled instantly, smacking into the sandy rocks hard with force that likely left her leg and part of her tailbone bruised. Despite this, she held the White Lotus guards away with a gesture when they attempted to approach, stubbornly forcing herself upright. She resumed the form where she left off, her movements not as crisp or precise as before, and he could practically _feel_ her frustration from hundreds of feet away.

 _Korra…stop, just_ stop _._

She wasn't getting any better, and by the time she reached the point where she'd fallen before, the anger on her face was plain to see. Korra attempted the leap once more, this time throwing herself completely off and managing to land on all fours in a decent recovery position. Despite this, he could see the heave of her shoulders as she struggled to contain a scream of rage and resumed. _Korra,_ stop _._ It took everything in Barry not to run down there. If she fell again, he wasn't sure he could restrain himself, irate White Lotus be damned. Thankfully, he didn't have to, since Master Tenzin found her before she got to that point in the form again.

He could hear the protectively angry shouts from where he sat, and where normally he'd be laughing at this, today they just made him frown. The look on her face as she was scolded for exerting herself…

 _Whoa._

Without any preamble or build, she exploded on Tenzin, jabbing her finger into his chest several times for emphasis as the shocked airbender stared at her openmouthed. He couldn't hear all the words that were said, but "waiting" and "water-smack" were notable excerpts. Barry shot onto the roof of the building and out of sight when he saw her stalk toward the residence. He flinched when he heard the door of her room slam open, and frowned when he saw the window shutters close. It wasn't like she knew he was there, after all, but still…ouch. He took a few moments to debate whether or not to go in there, but when he heard something shatter, the window shutters flew open and he was inside.

Korra immediately spun to face him, hands raised defensively in a waterbending stance, eyes wide in alarm and hair disheveled from practice. Barry's jaw dropped a bit as his reflexes slowed down time, not only at her instant default to fighting, but at her appearance. Her usually well-kept hair was in bedraggled streaks about her face, only her ponytail still intact. Her face was streaked with dust from practice, and her arms, save for a pair of forearm guards, were bare. Her typical Water Tribe gear was wrinkled and windswept, and every part of her body was streaming in sweat. But her eyes were the most noticeable part: deep and blue and storming like the ocean in the midst of a typhoon. Barry felt a strange but powerful flutter in his stomach, not of worry or alarm, but something he failed to identify in the two seconds it took for her to realize her mistake.

Her mouth opened and closed noiselessly a few times as she froze, her eyes wide. "B-Barry?" she breathed. "What are you _doing_ here?" She glanced toward the window and rushed over, closing the shutters. "It's the middle of the day!"

Barry's openmouthed expression still hadn't left as he tracked her movements around the room, blinking rapidly as he tried to decode this feeling. That is, until he found her staring at him with an intense gaze. "Um…I saw movement on the island and…" he shrugged, "I thought I'd come visit."

Korra huffed in exasperation as her hands ran through her sweat-streaked hair, his eyes following the motion. "You _do_ know that if anyone sees you, you're pretty much a dead man, right?"

He jabbed a thumb at the closed window. "You mean Tenzin doesn't—"

Her eyes went wide as her head shook vigorously. "Are you _kidding_ me? He'd blow a circuit, and probably me off the island."

Barry raised a hand with a small smirk on his face. "I—really don't think the White Lotus would appreciate that."

She snorted as she took a seat on her bed, slouched over. "Probably not, but he'd do it just to spite me."

Barry cautiously sat down next to her, keeping a little room between them. "You don't really believe that." It wasn't a question.

Korra looked at him sideways and rolled her eyes with a sigh. "No. It's just…ugh."

They were silent a while.

"What did he say to you?" Barry asked.

She snorted again. "Nothing important. Just that there's 'no shame' in waiting to recover before getting back to my Avatar duties." A huff. "What he doesn't realize is that I can't just _sit_ here and heal while the world gets shot halfway to hell."

Barry's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Korra sighed. "The Earth Kingdom. After Zaheer…" she gulped, "after he assassinated the queen, everything descended into chaos. Theft, looting, riots in the streets." Her head shook. "It was complete chaos." She gave him a glance. "Mako and Bolin were there."

He nodded slowly for her to continue.

Another sigh. "Well, come to find out six months later that it was a metalbending captain from Zaofu that stabilized the situation." She stared at the ground sullenly. "She had to do _my_ job…because I'm too damn weak to do it myself."

A firm hand rested on her shoulder. "Remember what I said before you got your legs back? You're not weak, not at all. If you were, you'd already have given up on being the Avatar, on getting better."

Her blue eyes peeked out at him from behind thick bangs of dark hair, sending that fluttering through his chest again.

Barry forced himself to continue as he rubbed circles into her hand. "Take it from a guy who was physically a complete weakling growing up. True strength isn't in the body." He tapped her forehead with one hand as the other rose to her chest. "It's in the mind and soul. Get those two in order, and the body follows."

She stared at him with those same piercing blue eyes and furrowed eyebrows that were barely visible, her lips curving into a small smile after a while. "When did you become such a guru?"

Barry grinned. "When I got a friend who needed me to be."

Korra blinked, the smile on her face fading to a curious expression.

He mistook it for affront. "N-Not that I'm saying you couldn't get on without me, or that you…needed me period, 'cause…you're probably the strongest person I know, and—"

The words stopped abruptly as his mouth dried up. _Why is she looking at me like that?_ Barry gulped slightly at her expression, gaze intense and roving over his face, looking for something, though what he really couldn't tell. Finally, she blinked, and the immobility spell was broken.

"Well, I uh, I better go," he stuttered out, rising and pacing toward the window. "It's been a few minutes and uh…someone's bound to notice I'm not in the lab, so…"

Korra blinked again, shaking her head slightly. "Yeah, uh sure…just…"

"What?"

Korra looked at him and curved her lips halfway between a smile and a smirk. "Just let me send you with something to eat." She chuckled. "Raava knows you suck down food like a sinkhole."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Got me there. You don't have to, though."

She shrugged dismissively and opened her door. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be back soon."

He nodded and started pacing.

…

Korra took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she jogged over to a nearby bathroom and pulled something from a box. About a minute later, she was standing by her door, a case of beef noodle soup in her hand and a nervous pit in her gut. The Avatar attempted to calm herself by recalling Asami's most recent conversation with her.

 _"He's just a friend."_

 _"Come on, Korra. Friends don't just visit friends at ten at night every night without fail. And don't tell me you haven't noticed how he refuses to keep his hands off you."_

 _"B-But…that's for_ healing _purposes."_

 _A snort. "Not_ all _the time. Korra, you've gotta trust me on these things,_ especially _since I know far more about boys than you."_

 _"…fair point."_

Dark blue eyes fluttered open as she released a long breath that was intended to calm. Instead, it just sped up her heart rate even faster, the organ threatening to thud right out of her chest. _Oh, get a_ hold _of yourself, woman!_ What was the big deal, anyway? It was just an experiment to verify or disprove Asami's "groundless" suspicions. Either way, it wouldn't impact her. It was no big deal, right? _Right_?

With an eye-roll of self-frustration, she shoved the door open before she could overthink things further and looked up to see Barry whirl around at her entry. Her eyes observed him for a few seconds before she extended her arm.

"Here."

He took it curiously, popping the lid and taking a long whiff as his eyes closed in glee. "Korra…you complete me."

It was said in a joking tone with an ear-to-ear grin, but she couldn't be sure. Time for the test. "Uh, Barry?"

His eyes shot open. "Hm?"

Feeling rather awkward and suddenly hot, she extended her arms sideways and began to twirl slowly. "What do you think? I'll be going out a little later," she added quickly.

Her eyes stayed locked on his as they blinked several times and swept over her newly donned gown. He evidently hadn't noticed her in it on entry, since surprise bloomed in his eyes before they really started to _look_. In the three minutes she'd been gone, Korra had changed into a long sleeveless frock, the upper torso comprised primarily of a red fabric with white highlights, the skirt a navy blue whose hem was white as well. The sash around her waist was a deep burgundy color, and the skirt was wide and stretchable enough to allow sufficient movement for combat. The outfit was completed with a pair of matte-black boots and a pair of sky blue bracelets, her hair hanging down in a rough rendition of the wave style he'd put it in four days earlier.

A few seconds were all it took for him to take it all in, as expected. "It looks nice," he replied in a rather…noncommittal tone.

Without her permission, Korra's heart sunk a little. "Oh," she breathed. "Good," she said with a little more tone. Unable to meet his eyes any longer, she strode over to her mirror and began brushing her hair. "See you later, Barry."

"Yeah," he replied a little distractedly.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid Asami, stupid heart,_ stupid _!_ Of _course_ there was nothing more. Who was she kidding? Why would she do such a stupid thing, entertain such an idiotic notion? What good was it to her, especially now? She had no time for feelings like that. The world needed its Avatar back, and anything else was just a distraction. _So why can't I stop thinking about this?_ _Ugh!_ A quiet groan left her lips. The silence that answered reminded her that there had been no gust of wind. Her eyes widened in alarm as a breath caught in her throat. _Suddenly I'm_ really _glad he can't read my mind._

Korra kept brushing her hair, hoping against hope that he hadn't heard her groan, or that he would just ignore it and go.

"Hey Korra?"

Her eyes shut in resignation before opening in his direction. "Yeah?"

The look on his face was…different, sheepish almost. He smiled a little. "I like your hair."

She blinked.

He was gone.

Korra looked in the mirror, the wave pattern of her hair and a strange expression staring back. The expression morphed to an involuntary smile as she kept brushing.

…

Police HQ

"Allen!"

"Yes, Chief?" he asked in an alarmed tone. He had just zipped back into his lab five seconds earlier.

She gave him a look. "I need you to come with me."

"Do I need my tools?" he asked nervously.

"No, just your brain."

"All right." Barry was confused up to the moment he walked into the evidence locker. When he saw what she wanted him for, it all made sense. "Oh wow. This has gotta be a…sixty-character cypher with a—"

"I really don't care _what_ it is," Lin interrupted. "We found it in a weapons raid, and I need it cracked yesterday. Can you get it done?"

"Y-Yeah, no problem, Chief. Can I take it back to my lab?"

The police chief gave him a hard look.

"Guess that's a no."

"Yeah, that's a no."

Barry sighed in frustration, but nodded as she left. If he'd been able to take the ledger back to his lab, he'd have it decoded in seconds, but here, under the watchful eye of the evidence sergeant, he had to take it slow, at least physically. Mentally, it took him about two full minutes to figure it all out. Transcribing his results onto paper, on the other hand, took upwards of twenty. A groan left his lips by five minutes in, and by ten he was considering just taking it to the lab anyway. Still, he managed to muscle through twenty minutes of boredom and tedium and get everything down, not even bothering to consider everything he'd just written until it was all done, and then it was only in absent interest.

That is, until the words "attack" and "Blackout" caught his steadily widening eyes.

"Chief!"

The woman in question turned with an annoyed snarl on her face. "Allen, you know I don't like to be—"

"We don't have time for this!"

His speech, usually so respectful, was now agitated and clipped, and that stopped Beifong's reprimand. "What are you talking about?"

"The ledger," he huffed, as if he'd run a great distance. He handed her several sheets of paper. "It wasn't a ledger at all. It was an attack plan."

Lin leafed through the pages at a rapid rate, barely comprehending half of what she was seeing, but understanding enough to know this was _bad_. "You've gotta be kidding."

"'Fraid not," Barry replied.

Her hands fisted in the paper, causing small tears to form, her eyebrows furrowed and face twisted into a focused scowl. "Good work, Allen." The compliment lacked any enthusiasm whatsoever, instead laced with dark focus and deadly intensity. "All right, people, listen up!"

The bullpen fell silent.

"It's just come to my attention that a group of terrorists and assassins is planning an attack on our city, beginning in just over one hour. We've come into possession of a ledger that contains the locations of several staging areas. Though we don't know exactly what they're after, we do know where some of them are going to be. Taking this into account, it is now our top priority to find these terrorists and get whatever information we can. Based on the scope of this operation, the potential damage from a successful attack would be devastating, and we _cannot_ allow that. Split into your teams. Captain Saikhan will give you your assignments."

She nodded to the man in question, who took the sheaf of papers from Lin and started spouting off names. "Good work, Allen," she repeated with genuine appreciation, the fire in her eyes and slight relief in her expression completely juxtaposed as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "You may have just saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives." She quickly released him and stalked off to ready herself.

Barry just blinked several times as the entire station came alive with activity, the communications staff sending messages non-stop as every cop suited up for a fight. He strode over to Mako somewhat uncertainly as the detective put on lightweight arm bracers. "Uh, hey Mako?"

"Hm?"

"What should _I_ be doing right now?"

The firebender smiled fondly and patted his shoulder. "Just hunker down in that lab of yours. You've done enough for today."

Barry nodded slowly, turning to face Saikhan as he spouted off names and assignments. His heart dropped considerably when Mako and his team were assigned to an address on the outskirts of the city, the reason being that he'd purposely left the specifics of that address out of his translation. Light blue eyes drifted over to the detective, panic and worry dancing around in his gut. _Blackout's there, and if he has backup…_

Barry's features set. He would go back to his lab, all right, but there would be no hunkering down. His city and his friends needed him.

…

10 minutes later

Mako and his team were approaching a large warehouse on the outskirts of Republic City, four cops total, with one more entity as backup from out of sight, just in case. If the police could handle Blackout and his men, there would be no need for Barry to intervene, but if they couldn't…well, better safe than sorry. Barry watched as the four entered the warehouse, the speedster making his own entry through a skylight and sticking to the rafters, well out of sight. The firebender made his way forward, at the point of the team, the rest comprised of two metalbenders and a waterbender. One room after the next was cleared until they reached a wide, open loading dock empty save for a dozen massive crates. Barry watched with furrowed eyebrows as a metalbender cracked one open. A small gasp came from Mako's lips, audible only due to the echoing qualities of the building.

A shift of position allowed Barry to see what he had. The crate was filled with explosives, firebombs, and stolen Varrick Global remote detonators, all primed and ready.

"Quite the collection, isn't it?"

Barry's body tensed at the voice that haunted his nightmares and waking moments alike, turning his head slowly to see Blackout entering with three of his own benders, two of them already tossing water back and forth between their hands.

"Come quietly, Gibran," Mako ordered, his troops forming up in a wedge behind him.

"'Fraid I can't do that, Detective."

"And why not?"

"You have your orders, I have mine." He smirked malevolently as electricity danced in his hands. "Let's just leave it at that."

Both Barry and Mako's eyes widened at how effortlessly Gibran manipulated the lightning. His frame was completely relaxed, and not a single trace of flame was seen; it was all just deadly blue electricity, like it took no effort at all for him to cast.

"If you won't come willingly," Mako began firmly, "then we've got nothing more to discuss."

"Quite right."

And then the room descended into chaos, the two criminal waterbenders ganging up on Mako but blocked by the metalbending cops, who catapulted their earth shields at the offending waterbenders. Mako leapt over their defensive line to shoot concentrated jets of flame at the enemy earthbender. His target responded with an earth shield, sending two small rocks curving around it toward the detective's head. Mako leapt back in a handspring, coming up to throw a fireball at Gibran. The assassin deftly caught and reflected it at the police waterbender, who was countering one of his and had her back turned.

A metalbending cop leapt between her and the flames, briefly encasing his front in earth and blocking the fire as he rolled to a stop. The criminal earthbender slammed his head with a rock at high speeds while Mako confronted Blackout at close range. The two firebenders went back and forth, spouting flames and lightning at each other with each attack a near miss. It was just a matter of time before one of them landed a hit, and though Barry's yuans were on Mako in a fair fight, he knew this man was a criminal and working with criminals. Fair just wasn't in his repertoire. Sure enough, after the first metalbender went down, the enemy earthbender tried to hit Mako in the back, an ice strike by the police waterbender barely diverting the rock before she was pelted with two jets of water.

Whoever Blackout was working with, they were no amateurs, and Mako was starting to notice. He shot a burst of lightning at a waterbender who tried to finish his downed metalbender off, the current traveling up his element and through his body. The smell of singed hair filled the room as he returned to fighting Gibran, the last of his metalbenders taking on both the earth and waterbender with some success. The police waterbender recovered moments later, firing an ice shard that pinned the earthbender's sleeves to a wall, then coiling a water whip around the enemy waterbender's attacking arm. The metalbender coiled a set of cables around his surprised enemy and yanked him up into the ceiling head-first.

The police waterbender shrieked when she was pummeled by a hailstorm of small rocks, chunks of her armor flying off as they cut into her skin, the finishing blow a wall of rock that catapulted her through a wall. The remaining metalbender managed to dodge the earthbender's next attack, using his cables to swing across the rafters and close the distance. In a last-ditch effort to win, the earthbender, dug his fingers into the ground and pulled, a massive sheet of rock tearing out and launching into the air as he threw it at the falling cop. The metalbender just hardened the armor around his right fist and punched through the sheet, his left hand falling a second later to break the man's jaw.

The moment he hit the ground, Barry heard Mako shriek in pain, his eyes shooting over to see the firebender bent over, a char-mark on his back a clear exit wound from an electrical shock. Barry's heart dropped as Blackout raised his hands for the final blow, eyes darting sideways when the metalbender shot his cables out and coiled them around the assassin's wrists. Triumph rang in his veins for a moment before Mako yelled out, "Don't!"

Confusion filled the speedster until he saw the grin on Blackout's face as he lowered his fingers to the cables. Electricity shot across the metal and engulfed the metalbender for a few seconds, the man falling over unconscious as soon as the current stopped. Mako lunged at Gibran, a jet of flame scorching the side of his face and singeing off his eyebrows before his hand was grabbed and face pummeled repeatedly.

Blackout huffed out a sigh. "It was a good effort, Detective…but I'm afraid you're already too late." Two fingers rose to hover barely an inch from Mako's forehead, Blackout's smile widening in perverse glee.

It vanished when he found himself flying through the air and careening into a crate of explosives. The container shattered when he hit, scattering bombs and detonators around his bruised body as he tried to regain his footing. Blackout managed to scramble upright and produce electricity in his fingers when the second blow came, far too fast for him to track and far more damaging than the first. At least three ribs cracked on contact, and he flew back another six feet, rolling to a stop and his feet as he sent flames out in a ten-foot radius around him. It was then that he saw the streak, especially when it tried to slide under his fire arcs once again. He widened them and smiled in satisfaction when he heard a yell of pain.

The streak appeared by Mako's side, cradling his injured head and tensing when he found him unconscious. Two fingers went to the detective's neck, a relieved breath leaving their owner when they found a pulse. And then the hooded figure turned back to Blackout, the shadows cast by the lights above them shielding his features from view even as his face began to blur.

"You again?!" Blackout yelled. "Why can't you just take a hint? Weren't eight dead bodies enough for you?"

Barry snarled at the reminder. Over the past six months, he'd run into Gibran at least four times, and each time the lightning bender had made it a point to kill at least one civilian. Every time Barry had tried to save them, and every time he'd failed when a direct shot was fired. He just wasn't fast enough. Fear thrummed through his system as he realized the meaning of Blackout's questions. The lightning bender shifted his gaze to the electrocuted metalbender, and his hand followed. Barry ran him out before Blackout could even start sparking, getting every person out except Mako by the time the assassin realized what he was doing. Barry was done waiting for him to take a shot. No one else was dying at the hand of this murderer. When he went back for Mako, though, Gibran was nowhere in sight—which was very worrisome.

Time slowed to a crawl when he heard a sizzle from behind, his legs moving as lightning streaked through the spot he'd just occupied. Two more shots came from above as fast as he moved, and he realized that Blackout had been preparing for this confrontation for some time, sharpening his skills with lightning and increasing his response speed—all in an effort to beat _him_. He'd be flattered if he weren't so terrified for Mako. All it would take is one stray shot—or one _aimed_ shot—and the detective, his best friend, would be dead. Evidently, Blackout knew his thoughts, because his next action was to shift his gaze to the firebender's unconscious body.

Barry didn't go for the body this time. Before Blackout could even move his hands in Mako's direction, he ran up a wall and sprinted toward the assassin at maximum speed, leaping off the surface to tackle him off the rafters. Blackout shifted midair so he landed on top of Barry, nearly frying him before the speedster tossed him off and ran for the detective. A lightning strike managed to clip him in the leg, and he shrieked as the electricity burned through his flesh, toppling and sending him into a series of high-speed rolls. Powering through the pain, Barry made a last-ditch effort to save Mako and snatched him off the ground, moving toward the exit at a superhuman but traceable pace.

It's because of this that Blackout managed to get a bead on him and scrambled to his feet as he threw both hands in front of him, his fists emitting a wide, concentrated stream of flame that speared toward the pair. Barry had barely a second to figure out what to do. He made his decision in a quarter of that time. Mako's unconscious body flew away from the speedster as he threw his friend with everything he had, taking the brunt of the fire and screaming as his flesh melted. Barely staying conscious through the agony of extensive but healing third-degree burns, Barry wheezed in a breath and tried to crawl away for about ten seconds, moaning in pain as he was rolled onto his back with a leather boot, Blackout standing over him and smiling smugly until—

His ice-blue eyes widened, jaw dropping. "Allen?" he asked in a near-whisper.

In less than a second, Barry realized several things. One: his third-degree burns had already faded halfway to second-degree severity. Two: his hoodie had been almost completely burned away in the inferno, and he had stopped vibrating his face…which meant his identity was now completely exposed to an assassin. An assassin who recognized him.

And with a blink, he saw his advantage.

Gibran was staring at him with a mixture of disbelief and fear, just standing there immobile. The stupor lasted long enough for Barry to zip out from under him, fighting the pain in his upper body and arms, then circle around the warehouse and slam his fist into the side of Blackout's head. He smacked the wall of the warehouse with a satisfying crack, Barry speeding over to one of the metalbenders and snatching up a pair of cuffs before shackling him with them. And then he let himself feel the pain, doubling over in agony as his breaths came in labored bursts.

Alarm struck him when he saw Gibran lift one hand into the air, a long stream of lightning shooting straight upward into the midday sky, the thunder that followed resounding like the roar of a hurricane, dark and foreboding. Barry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Blackout wasn't the type to bend needlessly. Everything he did was calculated and purposeful. Light blue eyes narrowed as he snarled.

"What did you just do? What was that?!" he added in a yell when Gibran failed to respond.

The assassin chuckled. "A signal, kid. It was a signal."

"For what?"

A malevolent smile creased his features. "The endgame."

When it became clear he wouldn't say anymore, Barry snarled in disgust and brought his speeding fist down one more time. Blackout was out in less than a second, and Barry was gone about as fast, since barely a moment later, he heard the voice of Lin Beifong nearby, as well as the clacking of other armored cops on the way. Without his hoodie, there was no way to protect his identity apart from vibrating—and he just didn't have the strength anymore. Barry briefly considered healing at home, but now that the adrenaline was leaking out of his system, the pain was overwhelming. He doubted he'd make it that far.

Instead, he realized how close he was to the waterfront and poured every scrap of will into making it to Air Temple Island.

…

10 minutes later

Interrogation room, Police HQ

Two pairs of eyes met in an intense staredown, one green, one ice-blue, the contest of wills lasting about ten seconds before a single harsh word was spoken.

"Talk."

Blackout stayed silent.

"I know you're involved in an attack that's set to take place today. My men are tracking down several of your safehouses as we speak. Make it easy on yourself and just give them up."

He smirked. "Now why would I do that? Considering my record, I doubt cooperation would buy me any kind of leniency."

Lin's eyes narrowed. "It might keep you off death row."

Gibran's smug façade lifted as his eyes widened and jaw dropped a bit, skin paling even more than it already was. He gulped slowly. "I don't know everything about the plan. Really, I don't. Whoever my employer is, he's very careful to make sure that no one piece knows about everything."

"What _do_ you know?"

He shrugged. "Just that the explosives in that warehouse were meant for this place." He motioned around with one cuffed hand.

The chief crossed her arms. "You're gonna have to give me more than that."

"I don't know, okay?! This job…it was super secretive. Nobody told me anything outside of what I needed to know for my part. Whatever…safehouses you're trackin' down, they're probably everything you're looking for."

She slammed her hands down on the table between them. "Except for the fact that the resources indicated in our intel are far too numerous to be stored in so few locations."

Gibran's head sunk into his hands.

"You're gonna have to give me something we can use, _Blackout_ , or I really can't promise your safety, especially since you and your cronies put four of my best officers in the hospital."

His eyes went wide. "Wait—you can't—you wouldn't—"

"Then tell me something I want to hear."

He blinked several times, feverishly racking his brain for anything, _anything_ that could save him.

Lin sighed heavily. "Then I guess I'll see you in hell."

She made it halfway to the door when something occurred to him. "Wait!"

She stopped.

"I got something."

Beifong arched an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. "This had better be good."

Blackout's confident smirk returned full-force. "Oh, I think you're gonna like this. See…that red streak you and the media've been lookin' for?"

The chief turned to face him, lips parting slightly.

He grinned. "I know who he is."

Green eyes narrowed to slits. "I'm listening."

Gibran leaned forward, cuffed hands planting halfway across the table. "Barry Allen."

Lin's eyes widened to circles before her eyebrows scrunched up and she let out a gruff chuckle. "Really? Barry Allen? You mean to tell me that the entity who can cross several city blocks in the space it takes you to blink is the kid who's late to _literally_ everything?"

Blackout cocked his head. "What better way to throw you off his trail?"

The metalbender leaned over the desk, getting up in his face. "The better question is, how do _you_ know him?"

He shrugged. "No reason. I just tried to kill him a couple months ago." He looked up. "Right…above this room, I think."

She blinked. "In the middle of his lab? How the hell could _you_ make it in there? Your face is known to every cop and crook from here to Ba Sing Se. There's no way you'd get in undetected."

"Not normally, no." He leaned forward again. "But that just so happened to be the night of Harmonic Convergence."

"When the station was practically empty."

He smirked. "Exactly. Oh, and in case I didn't mention it, that streak was in the warehouse with me."

Lin's eyes widened. "Where is he now?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Don't see him that often. There _have_ been reports of it heading toward the waterfront over the last few months though."

"The waterfront?" Her eyes narrowed to slits before widening in realization. "Oh spirits." She stormed from the room without giving Blackout a second glance, running to the two nearest metalbenders. "You two, you're with me."

"Yes, Chief. Mind if I ask where we're going?"

She scowled slightly as they stepped into an elevator. "Air Temple Island."


	6. Afraid

AN: Reviewer Darkfrost, I get that Flash technically used his power as a defibrillator to reboot Cisco, but I think the creators of the show made that scene as a nod to Speedforce healing. The image of lightning-covered hands healing an injury is just too close to ignore. And as for characters from _The Flash_ , yes, I will be bringing some in in later chapters, namely after Barry becomes the Flash. Firestorm, Caitlyn Snow, and Cisco Ramon are all confirmed…and of course, the Reverse-Flash, who we've already seen in flashbacks.

Thank you for reviewing and please continue to support.

On another note, I've got a double release for you guys tonight, since when I wrote this chapter it came out around 10,000+ words and I knew I had to split it up. Enjoy.

* * *

Afraid (adj.): feeling fear or anxiety; frightened; alternatively, unwilling or reluctant to do something for fear of the consequences.

Present

Police HQ

6 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"So what happened then? Obviously, you went to find Korra, but how did you even make it there? According to you, your injuries were extremely painful."

"One perk of being as fast as I am is an equally fast healing factor. I can regenerate just about any injured part of my anatomy about a hundred times faster than a normal human, if not more."

"So your legs—"

"Should be healed in a matter of days."

Lin and Korra exchanged a look, to which the Avatar just shrugged and the chief shook her head. "But you didn't heal completely by the time you reached her."

Barry shook his head. "No. By the time I got there, the pain was overwhelming. See, third-degree burns don't really hurt." He absently stroked his collarbone. "The nerve endings get all fried, can't feel a thing. When they start to grow back, though…" He winced. " _That_ smarts."

Lin blinked hard, then leaned toward him. "So then what happened?"

…

3 days earlier

Air Temple Island

Korra was in the middle of readjusting her clothes, Asami re-braiding her hair, when a choppy gust of wind entered her room through the window. Both their heads snapped to the source, a greeting halfway out of Asami's mouth before she paled and both girls let their jaws drop. A low groaning sound snapped them out of their stupor, Korra immediately rushing to Barry's side.

"Bear? Barry?! What happened?!"

"D-Don't touch!" he stammered out in a clipped voice. "Burns."

Ocean blue eyes swept over his frame, noticing for the first time that his shirt—most of his upper-body clothing, actually—was gone, badly burned skin the only thing showing. The heat coming off his chest was sweltering, and she could only imagine how much pain he was in.

"Asami," she began authoritatively, "I need water. Buckets of it. Now."

The Sato heir nodded feverishly as she sprinted out the door to the nearest bathroom, Korra bending a gentle breeze around Barry's scorched body. It seemed to alleviate some of the pain, if the way his agonized moans decreased was any indication. His right hand grabbed onto hers and held on in a death grip, Korra squeezing back about as hard. _Come on, 'Sami, where_ are _you?_ She was taking far too long, and Korra could see Barry's eyes start to loll back into his head. _No._

"Stay with me, Barry. Just hang on!"

She could see him dutifully trying to keep his eyes open, but it was a losing battle in so many regards. If he went into shock now, there would be little she could do for him apart from healing his burns. She shuddered to think of the psychological damage that could do. The door burst open again, Asami carrying a heavy pail of water in two hands. Korra instantly bended large swaths of it into the air and settled them over Barry's burns, the liquid glowing gently as she began to heal him. Over fifty percent of his chest's skin had been melted off, but even as the waterbender continued to slide her healing liquid over his body, it began to grow back at a noticeable pace, far faster than with ordinary water healing.

It struck Korra suddenly that this was the first time she'd actually watched him heal, at least from something so severe. Her heart wrenched when she considered the possibility that he'd been hurt this badly before, or something close, and healed on his own, groaning and whimpering on the floor of his apartment, or an alley, or…

Korra took and released a ragged breath as she refocused on her task, the moans of pain fading to heavy breaths just a minute or two into the healing process. She looked down to see his chest almost completely healed, most of his skin pink and raw, but intact and smooth, not the uneven, charred mess it had been when he first arrived. Barry let out a final whimper of pain as his eyes fluttered closed, his breaths heavy as the water soothed his skin. Asami, who had been looking on in worry, was stroking his hair and rubbing his temples soothingly, his head in her lap as the last of his burns vanished.

Korra bended the water back to its container as she drew closer, taking one of his hands in hers as she inspected him. His skin was pink with newness, still warm to the touch but not scorching. Every scrap of hair on his torso and a good portion of his arms was gone, making him look much younger than he actually was, but his abs…

Korra blinked hard as her jaw dropped slightly and face began to heat. She had just realized that her close friend and healer was A: top-naked, and B: far more buff than she'd ever expected. How had she never noticed before? Was it his wiry frame that made him seem deceptively thin? Come to think of it, she'd never even seen his bare arms, had she? He'd always had on either his jacket or a t-shirt that hid his biceps from view. A hard blink and a shake of her head later, and she was staring at him with a mixture of horror and shock. _Seriously? Biceps? Since when do muscles affect me that much? Really? Not like it's anything new, considering the friends I hang out with._

Shaking her head to clear those thoughts, she gripped Barry's hand a little tighter. "Barry?" she asked quietly. "Barry?" she repeated, flinching when he let out a groan and opened his eyes with some difficulty.

"Korra? I—I made it?"

Korra forced down a gulp. "Yeah, you did." _He must've been completely out of it when he arrived._

The younger man tried to sit up, but Korra forced him down with a hand on his chest before she could think better of it. He hissed in pain, but she withdrew her hand instantly.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking."

He lifted a hand. "It's fine." A long sigh and his expression sobered as he locked eyes with her. "So how bad was it? And be honest."

Korra exchanged a look with Asami and tensed her jaw. "Bad. It was really bad." A moment of silence. "What happened?"

Barry hissed out a breath and again tried to sit up, this time without opposition, making it onto the bed. "Blackout. He and a group of terrorists were holed up in a factory. Mako took three officers to arrest them. It wasn't enough, and I had to step in."

Though his voice was strong, his rather clipped speech was enough to tell Korra he was still in pain. She bended water from the pail and kept healing his skin. "So what happened? He's never done this much damage to you before."

Barry's head shook. "I made a miscalculation. He slowed me down by shooting my leg, and when I made to save Mako…"

"Mako?! What happened to Mako?"

Asami looked like she had the same panicked thought.

Barry lifted his hands to calm them both. "Whoa, it's fine, he's fine. I was gonna say…when I made to save Mako, Blackout took a shot at us, and it was me or him. Since I can heal really fast, I picked me…and tossed him about ten feet away."

Korra's brows furrowed as niggling worry ate at her. "Barry…about how long before you got here did this happen?"

He blinked a few times. "About six minutes."

Both girls' mouths dropped open as they exchanged a horrified look, Korra the only one to form words. "But…but that means…your burns…"

"Yeah, they were a whole lot worse when it happened."

Unbidden and uncontrollably, Korra's eyes stung and vision blurred as her hand came up to cover her mouth. "How…did you even make it?"

The question was asked in a near-whisper, Barry barely managing to catch it and grin despite himself. "Sheer force of will, I guess."

Korra couldn't speak, and the healing water had long been forgotten, not that he needed it any longer. Her throat was completely closed, along with her eyes, desperately trying to restrain both tears and panic. If he didn't have such a high healing factor…he'd be dead ten times over. _That could've been Mako,_ registered in her mind, and with it came the first panicked shake of her shoulders.

…

 _Oh no._

Barry watched with widening eyes as the Avatar came unraveled right in front of him, the girl trying desperately not to fall apart and failing little by little until Asami's firm grip landed on her shoulder. The shakes calmed bit by bit until they stopped completely, the speedster sending Asami a grateful look as Korra began to open her reddened eyes.

Korra coughed once to clear her airways. "Sorry," she said quietly.

Barry smiled reassuringly. "Don't be. It…it's nice to know how much you care."

She smiled at him a little, her disheveled hair falling all around her face haphazardly, most of it hidden behind the brunette's locks. Barry felt a sharp breath enter his lungs as a familiar twinge struck his chest, his stomach fluttering once again as realization dawned on him. The breath left him in quiet but ragged bursts, his mind moving at lightspeed as time slowed to a crawl to allow him time to think. Every so often over the last six months, he'd experienced this feeling, dizzy and heady and immeasurably powerful. It had happened when they first met, when he had first seen that tear slide down her face. It had happened when she comforted him after his first fight with Blackout. It had happened just before she got her legs back, when his hands were around hers and she was looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

One more look at her, a lock of dark brown hair moving in slow motion, and he finally identified it. Barry had always known she was attractive, in a very objective, appreciation-from-afar sort of way, ever since the Avatar's face had become known to the media just over a year ago. The problem, of course, was that that day on Air Temple Island, when he swept her up and showed her a piece of his heart, he was no longer a passive onlooker, a distant observer. He was her friend, in some cases her confidant, and her healer. He had held and spoken with her more in the last six months than he had anyone in the last six years, and no matter how supportive and objective he intended to stay, the fact was, he was a man, and a hurting, broken one at that.

Seeing her the way he had, vulnerable and strong in that vulnerability, had made him want to do more, to _be_ more. Now he was, and she admired him for it, but she was also worried. He'd never wanted to become a source of pain or stress for the already-overstressed Avatar, his friend. He _hated_ to see her in pain, to see her struggling, but when he tried to fix it and succeeded, when she smiled at him…it was easily the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Barry blinked once more.

 _I'm falling for her._

The moment he acknowledged it, _everything_ changed. The way he looked at her, the way he thought about their interactions since meeting, their healing sessions, the long talks every night…they all screamed of something deeper than just friendship. With startling clarity, he realized that these feelings had always been there, just gone unacknowledged and untouched due to fear, though which type he couldn't tell. The last people who had been closest to him were burned or stabbed to death in his home, a place that was supposed to be safe, and he supposed that superspeed or no, some childhood fears never left you.

And then there was the fact that he was an underachieving nerd who spent his days bent over a test tube, and she was the freaking _Avatar_. Having the ones you love ripped away from you was agonizing, but since being known as a grade-A nerd in every foster home and school he'd attended, he'd come to understand that having them walk away hurt worse. How could he not have seen this? Maybe it was her rank, her title and status, that kept him from thinking about it, kept him from wondering what might be. Well, now it was unavoidable, much to his displeasure…or was it? The flutter had only increased in strength at this point, his heart thudding five hundred beats a minute as worry, panic, affection, and excitement churned in his gut.

By this point, only three seconds had passed, so his constant staring had gone unnoticed by Korra, though not by Asami, who was smirking knowingly.

That is, until Korra's door burst open and three metalbending cops entered the room.

…

Shaken from her despondence by the loud bang of her door, Korra's head whipped around to see the Chief of Police stalk through her door, flanked by two metalbenders. Confusion briefly filled her at the grim look on Lin's face until her eyes widened as she remembered Barry's presence. Then fear and panic took over.

"Chief Beifong," Asami began, "what are you—"

"Save it, girl," Lin interrupted sharply, her green eyes fixing Barry with a piercing stare. "You know why I'm here."

Korra looked back at Barry, noting how pale he'd become, as well as how he'd seemed to shrink right in front of her. She turned back to Beifong. "Look, Chief, I don't know what's going on, but you can't just barge in here."

The metalbender arched an eyebrow at the Avatar. "I can't? And why not? I'm here pursuing a person of interest, who _you_ just so happened to be hiding a connection to."

"I wasn't _hiding_ anything," Korra answered as she stood, affronted. "I just don't broadcast my private life like I used to." Heat flooded her cheeks as her eyes widened, realizing the implications of the statement a moment after it left her lips.

"N-Not that anything like that is happening," Barry was quick to reassure. "W-We're just friends, ya know. I was, uh, visiting."

Lin glared at him. "Really?" Her arms crossed. "Covered in smoke with no shirt on?"

The speedster paled again. "I was, uh, helpin' to clean out their chimney, and do you know how hot it gets in—"

"Cut the crap, Allen," she hissed as she leaned forward, finger pointed accusingly. "I _know_ you're the streak that's been seen around Republic City."

"But…" Barry's expression twisted in confusion before sharpening in realization. "Blackout."

"So you _do_ know him." Lin smirked, the expression more of a grimace, her jaw tightening as if the acknowledgement pained her.

"You're damned right I do," Barry bit out. "He helped to murder my parents, and he tried to kill me. More than once."

"I know. I was just wondering when your fear and anger turned to professional tolerance."

The CSI blinked hard, shaking his head. "Wait… _what_?"

Korra had to agree. "Just what are you saying?"

Lin barely gave her a glance, crossing her arms again. "Blackout told me everything, how he attacked you during Harmonic Convergence after evidence _you_ brought forth led to the capture of his entire entourage… _after_ he told me you were in the warehouse with him before his arrest."

Barry shrugged, mouth open. "Yeah? So?"

She gave him a hard look.

His eyes widened in horror. "Wait…wait, you think I—you think we—"

"He implied as much."

Barry was silent a while, looking down as he seemed to shrink even further, Korra wondering at the reason and what he meant until…

"Wait," she said crisply, voice rising in anger, "you think he's _working_ with him?"

The long, expressionless glance confirmed it.

Korra was on her feet and up in Lin's face in an instant. "Are you _out of your mind_?!" she roared. "As a CSI, as this…'streak' or whatever, Barry has done _nothing_ but try to help this city, and you would accuse him of…of _this_?!"

Lin's green eyes narrowed at her, neither taking a step back. "I've been stabbed in the back before, kid."

"But this is _Barry_ we're talking about! He was only in that warehouse because he was worried! He _saved_ Mako!"

"Unfortunately, Detective Mako is in the hospital unconscious, and therefore unable to verify Mr. Allen's story. And that's what you're basing this defense on, yes? Since you obviously weren't there."

"But I—" Korra trailed off as she looked back at her friend, his hands shaking and eyes wide as they stared at the ground. "Oh spirits," she breathed in a whisper, approaching him slowly.

"You're coming with me, Allen," Lin continued in an official tone, oblivious to the speedster's state. "And you're gonna answer some questions."

"Stop," Korra said quietly, far too quietly as she took Barry's vibrating hands, trying to steady them.

"Namely, where and when the attacks are going to take place, and what part you have in them."

"Stop," the Avatar pleaded again in a whisper, her eyes widening in panic as the shaking just increased in severity.

"And while you're at it, do you mind explaining how you can _run_ faster than a biplane?"

Korra's features twisted into a scowl as her head whipped toward the chief. "Just _stop_ , all right! Can't you see how scared he already is? Don't you _get_ it?"

"I get that he's hiding something, has been for months, and because of that, he's in trouble." Lin stared at them coldly. "He has every reason to be scared."

Korra shot upright, standing directly between the cops and Barry, arms flexed at her sides. "That's not it at _all_!" she yelled with vehemence, a quick glance behind Lin sending another wave of panic through her as she realized Tenzin had arrived. Her gaze shifted back to Beifong, deciding to delay _that_ argument at least a little longer. "You want to know why he never told you, or _anyone_ what he could do?"

Lin just stared unblinkingly.

"He was afraid," she choked out, "afraid that if everyone knew…they'd dissect him to find out how."

The ice-cold chief's eyes widened and jaw dropped slightly, her hard stance disrupted.

Korra felt a hand brush her fist and opened it to grasp his reassuringly. "He was terrified of being locked away and experimented on, if not by the government then by some criminal element." Her gaze shifted downward. "I'm not sure which is worse."

Lin just looked from her to Barry several times, lips pursing as her expression softened. She opened her mouth to speak, but anything that came was drowned out in a series of loud bangs that came from the mainland. The chief rushed to the window and looked out at a dozen plumes of smoke rising from various locations.

"What the hell was that?" she snarled toward the room's inhabitants.

One of the cops put a portable radio to his ear, paling a moment later. "Chief, several explosions were set off just moments ago. We're getting reports of triads flooding the streets by the dozens. Industrial…residential…every district of the city is under attack."

"This is just the start," a broken voice said from the bed.

Every eye turned to Barry as he looked up, blue eyes rimmed with tears until he brushed them off on the back of his arm.

"Before I knocked him out, Blackout said that he'd signaled his people…for something called the 'endgame.'" He shrugged. "I didn't know what that meant, but I guess we do now."

Lin's eyes narrowed and lips pursed at the boy. Korra could tell she hadn't wanted it to be true, hadn't wanted Barry to be a criminal. Natural fears or not, though, until Mako woke up, there was no way they'd be able to verify Barry's story. He was still a suspect.

Suddenly, the speedster's expression hardened, and he shot to his feet, stance set. "Arrest me when this is over if you like, Chief, but right now, Republic City is under attack, and you're gonna need every body you can throw at this. If not to fight, then at least to contain the collateral damage."

Korra glanced between the two, the expression on Beifong's face indicating she could go either way.

"Please, Chief. I can't stand idly by." His gaze flickered to Korra. "Not anymore."

A brief swell of pride stirred in her chest before Lin's response.

"Fine." She pointed at him firmly. "But if you use this as an excuse to run, I _will_ bring you down."

He shook his head resolutely. "I'm _done_ running."

Lin nodded slowly in respect, then turned to her cops. "Where's the nearest hotspot?"

One metalbender put the radio to his ear, nodding slowly. "Residential district. A group of earthbenders is causing havoc, and some of their nonbending comrades are tossing bombs into buildings."

"All right then. Let's move." Lin glanced at the kids, giving Korra a long look up and down.

She crossed her arms and gave her a narrow-eyed look. "If that's your way of asking whether I'm coming, the answer is yes."

"Korra, no!"

Blue eyes locked onto the speaker, one very red-faced Tenzin.

"You're not fully recovered yet. This morning overwhelmingly proved that."

She winced at the reminder, but snarled and got up in his face anyway. "I can't just sit by while the city burns!"

"Then don't," Barry interrupted quietly. "But don't get into fights."

The whole room stared at him quizzically.

"Hitting people isn't all you're good for, and if these…terrorists are tossing bombs into buildings, some of those structures are gonna be really unstable, maybe even start collapsing. You can help evacuate civilians from danger zones while the police handle the fighting."

Korra's jaw dropped slightly as she considered the possibility. "I…I think I can live with that."

"Well in that case, I'm coming too," said Tenzin. "I'll be of more help assisting civilians anyhow."

Though a part of her wanted to roll her eyes at his not-so-subtle way of keeping an eye on her, the rest of her got her to smile and nod. "I'll appreciate the help."

"And of course, I'll be there," said Asami. When the metalbending cops gave her a look, she crossed her arms and pouted defensively. "What, just because I'm a nonbender doesn't make me useless. And besides," she smirked evilly, "I doubt many of these criminals have seen my mecha tanks in action."

Lin smirked. "I like how you think, kid. Now let's get moving. It'll take some time to get there, so we should leave immediately."

Korra nodded and turned to see Barry reach to pick her up when she drew back. "Whoa-whoa-whoa, hang on."

He raised his hands. "What? Not like it's the first time I've picked you up."

Korra glanced over to her closet, noting the peeved look Beifong was shooting Barry at the reminder. "It's not that, it's just…um…do you really want to go out looking like _that_?"

The CSI stared at her funny before looking down and going red as the currently setting sun. "Uh, heh…okay, maybe not."

"Here," said Asami, pulling something from the closet after picking up Korra's thoughts and tossing it over to him.

He effortlessly snatched the garment out of the air, taking a moment to look it over. The tunic's fabric was mostly red, with a grey and white gi underneath and red over the top majority of its sleeves. He gave her a quizzical look.

"It was my uniform when I was first learning to firebend," she explained, gesturing toward it. "I figured since the fabric's somewhat heat-resistant—" she smirked, "—and your favorite color seems to be red…"

Barry smiled down at the garment, outright grinning as he turned into a blur of red and gold, appearing in the shirt a few seconds later with a wry smirk. "It's a little snug."

Korra rolled her eyes. "It's supposed to be. Was made for someone who stands at five-seven, not six feet tall."

"Oh," he chuckled. "Right."

"And if you want to keep your identity secret," Asami added, chucking something else at him, "this is better than nothing."

Barry caught it and gave Korra a look. "Your pro-bending helmet?"

She shrugged. "Better than nothing, and the visor'll help keep dust out of your eyes."

"If we're all done accessorizing," Lin interrupted irritably, "we need to go. Now."

A blink and rush of wind later, and Korra was suddenly staring at the bay…that she was currently moving across. With an amused huff, she looked up at Barry's helmeted face, mentally admitting that she somewhat enjoyed his smug demonstration of power, but worrying over the tension still etched into his features. It was unavoidable, she supposed, and now that Beifong knew the truth…she could only hope the police chief made the right decision. If she could be made to see how much more useful he would be on the streets as opposed to in a jail cell…

Korra blinked hard. _That's what today's about. If he can help save the city…_

A smile spread over her features as her grip around his neck tightened.

"You ready for this?" he asked her suddenly, looking down in concern.

A smug smirk plastered itself to her features as she jabbed a thumb into her chest. "I'm the _Avatar_ , nerd. I was _born_ ready."

Barry grinned at her enthusiasm, but quickly let his smile fade when they approached the trouble zone. The moment Korra turned to see it, she understood why. _Spirits…this is gonna be a long afternoon._ Fear gripped her as she remembered her failure from this morning, a vision of Zaheer's smug smirk flashing through her mind's eye for the first time in almost a week, nearly sending her into a panic attack. When Barry's arm tightened around her back, the maniacal airbender disappeared, and warm confidence flooded her. He set her down on a rooftop overlooking two smoking buildings, periodic explosions resounding all around them.

The pair exchanged a look before nodding in tandem and leaping off the edge.


	7. The Flash

Flash (n.): a sudden brief burst of bright light or a sudden glint from a reflective surface; alternatively, a thing that occurs suddenly and within a brief period of time.

30 minutes later

Residential District, Republic City

"Move, move, move!" Korra kept waving civilians past, periodically moving to send another pillar of earth up to support the crumbling building's foundations. "This thing's coming down any second!" Finally, it seemed like the last man exited, and Korra rushed over to him. "Is that everyone?"

He coughed a few times to clear his airways. "N-No. There's still someone on the third floor. Two kids, I think, but the halls were completely blocked. Was no way for me to reach them."

Korra nodded understandingly. "Get everyone as far away from the building as possible. I'll be back."

And with that, she ran toward the toppling structure, putting up a few more rock pillars before attempting to enter. She stopped in her tracks when a red-and-gold blur sped inside before she could, blinking in surprise and snapping her vision to the side when a window three floors up shattered. The blur shot down the side of the building like a lightning bolt, two children deposited with the refugees two seconds later before it sped off elsewhere.

A smile came to her face as she moved on to the next block. He'd been doing that for the last half-hour, zipping across the residential district, alternating between evacuation and crowd control as the fighting intensified and more and more police flooded the area. It killed her not to be able to help in that regard, but given the dearth of emergency first responders on-site and the close calls they'd had so far, she realized her job was just as important. A quick ride on an air scooter brought her to another burning building, where a child was hanging precariously off the railing of a fire escape.

"Hang on!" she shouted upward, looking around for anything she could use before spotting a fire hydrant. A quick metalbending maneuver yanked the cover loose, and her waterbending brought a coil of liquid curling around the child's waist. "Just stay calm!"

Bit by bit, Korra carefully lowered the kid to the ground, bending the water and cover back in place when she was clear, then launching herself upward on an earth pillar and crashing through the third-story window. One hand came up to shield her eyes from the smoke as another airbended a hard gust to clear it out. Instantly, her vision picked up a coughing group of people, and she ran over as the ceiling above them started to give. Two hundred pounds of wood and drywall fell a moment later, only a quick bend of the metal in the supporting girders saving them from being crushed as they finally took a breath and made for the exit.

Though her level of fatigue was increasing by astonishing margins, Korra kept going, not once having her flow or bending disrupted by visions of the Red Lotus as she saved family after family from the wanton destruction. Rescue efforts continued for another half hour until at last, the sounds of explosions and fighting died down to a dull roar, the only sounds either sirens or the flames of buildings still on fire. The damage to the residential district and, indeed, the entire city, was extensive, as she saw from the roof of a building she and a group of first responders set up shop on, but based on the radio messages coming through the makeshift command-and-control center, the attacks had been far less successful than anticipated.

Casualties were ranked in the dozens as opposed to hundreds or even thousands, and Korra sent a silent "thank you" to Raava before a gust of wind alerted her to a new arrival. She turned to see Barry standing there, covered in soot and a little worse for wear, but otherwise unharmed. And he was smiling. She couldn't help but give him a tired smile in return.

"You doin' okay?" he asked, vocal cords and visored face vibrating to conceal his identity from the first responders.

She nodded slowly. "Better than I thought I would." She was silent a while, staring out into the city before looking back at him with an appreciative smile. "You just have no idea how much—"

A low rumble cut her off, a slight tremble of the ground alerting her that something was wrong. Korra exchanged a worried look with Barry, Chief Beifong's animated voice catching their attention.

"What the hell was that?"

The man on the radio frowned in concentration for a few moments. "Got it." He turned to Lin. "A patrol boat's reporting an earthquake just off the coast, strong, like nothing they've ever felt."

The chief frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. We're not even on a fault line." Her eyes widened in horror. "Wait. You said this happened off the coast? _Underwater_?"

The man's expression darkened. "Yes, ma'am, and the patrol is also reporting an equally massive tidal wave, heading straight for the waterfront."

"How big?"

"Big. At least a hundred feet tall."

Korra felt all the color drain from her face as the chief's jaw dropped and eyes widened.

"That's it," someone whispered from her side.

She turned to see Barry there, his features still blurred.

"That's what Blackout meant when he talked about an endgame. Even if the citywide attacks failed, that was okay, because they were just a diversion from the real plan."

"To cause an earthquake so massive it creates a tidal wave that destroys half of Republic City," Korra finished. "Spirits help us."

"They just might, since this is _their_ home too," Lin said flatly, "but on the offchance they don't, we need to get down there, see what we can do to stop it or at least mitigate the damage."

"Right," the Avatar responded with a nod, earning a few looks from the first responders, who still couldn't believe that the girl who spent the last six months in a wheelchair was helping to save their city.

"And since every waterbender in the city is currently putting out fires…you may be the only one who can help."

Korra drew in a sharp breath as her body tensed, a firm hand at her shoulder serving as an anchor against the overwhelming fear. She gulped past the lump in her throat and nodded. "I'll do what I can."

With that, Lin and Korra latched metal cables onto the city's zip-line system, heading toward the waterfront with an air-scooter-riding Tenzin and a running Barry in tow. They reached the coast in record time, the four instantly freezing as they caught sight of the tsunami, just over four miles offshore. It was, in a word, _enormous_. Korra was never one to nitpick over details of size, but a hundred feet just seemed too conservative of an estimate for this monstrosity.

"How…how do we stop that?"

The question went unanswered for several moments, Lin finally turning to the waterbender and giving her a firm look. " _We_ can't. But you can."

She stared at the older woman with wide eyes. " _How_?! That thing's the size of several city blocks. There's no _way_ I can bend all of it."

"Then don't," Barry said. "Just bend the trough. Deconstruct it from the bottom up, that'll send it tumbling."

"He's right, Korra," Tenzin added. "I remember a story where Aang put himself in the Avatar state, then used his airbending to create a tornado at the base of a wave much like this one. The overwhelming strength of the vortex sapped the wave of its energy before it hit the coast."

Her stomach hit the floor. "You want me to tap into the _Avatar state_? I can barely bend for long periods without collapsing. There's no _way_ I can even scratch _that_."

Tenzin put a calming hand on her shoulder. "And I'm not asking you to. I only said that to confirm Mr. Allen's theory." He shot a curious look in Barry's direction. "Speaking of which, you and I will be having a _long_ talk after this is over."

"Get in line, Tenzin," Lin cut in with crossed arms. "And stop wasting time. If we're gonna deconstruct this thing, we have to get started now."

"All right, but…" Korra's voice trailed off as she stared at the wave, now three miles away. Her head shook. "There's no way I can bend it from here, and I can't stop it and surf at the same time."

"I'll get a patrol boat sent our way," Lin said.

"We don't have time," Barry cut in. "I can get her in close."

The chief gave him a hard look, then nodded. "Do it."

Barry picked up Korra in a cradle carry, holding her tightly until she nodded, then sped off across the water toward the approaching tsunami. Lightning trailed behind them as Barry ran and ran, finally getting within twenty feet of its swell. It was even more terrifying up close, but Korra shoved through it as her arms began to move in curving, fluid motions. After just a few moments, the strain on her was…incredible. She could feel the liquid at the base of the wave moving with her manipulations, but there was just _so much_ of it. The energy of the wave was decreasing, as was its height, but by such infinitesimal degrees that it felt like beating her hands against a platinum wall.

About a minute in, it started to feel that way physically, too, and by Barry's thirtieth time running back and forth in front of the wave, she cried out in pain as her waterbending failed. The speedster noticed and immediately turned back toward the coastline. She didn't even notice when he set her down on the ground in a sitting position, hands on her arms to steady her as Tenzin hovered protectively. Heavy breaths left her lungs again and again as she gasped for air.

"I-I can't," she breathed out. "I can't stop it." At Barry's encouraging expression, she kept talking. "You don't understand. It's not a matter of will. I'm just not recovered enough. I'm not strong enough. My chi…" her head shook, "my chi can't handle it, and neither can my body." Her eyes turned downward as she curled up, heart sinking in failure. "I'm sorry."

"You did everything you could," Tenzin said solemnly, one hand on her shoulder as he looked toward the wave, now less than two miles offshore. "If only we had our airbenders…we could create a vortex of our own…but they're all so scattered, and you and I can only do so much."

"Then…it's over," Korra whispered brokenly.

Lin and Tenzin seemed to agree, based on the fist-clenching and somber expressions.

"No it's not."

Three pairs of eyes turned to face the now-helmetless speaker as he took a few steps toward the water, stopping to stare at the tsunami.

"What are you talking about?" Tenzin asked, confused but suddenly hopeful at the certainty in his voice.

He looked back at the airbender. "Master Tenzin, you said that Aang stopped a tidal wave by creating a tornado, a vortex barrier that sapped it of its strength."

"I did, but we don't have enough benders to pull it off."

Barry's lips pursed as he looked back at the wave. "What if you didn't need them?" He looked back at them. "What if I could do it?"

Three pairs of eyebrows shot up as Korra leapt to her feet.

"I already know I cause wind currents when I move fast. What if those currents were enough to create a vortex barrier along the coastline, a-a wall of wind. If I run back and forth fast enough, I can pull it off."

His tone was so earnest that they couldn't help but hope.

Tenzin, however, was hesitant. "Perhaps, yes, but your body may not be able to handle it. And what's more, the speeds you would have to attain to produce the winds necessary…" He frowned. "They're _astronomical_."

"He's right," Korra added softly, chest filling with worry. "I don't know that you _can_ go that fast."

Barry looked at her earnestly, jaw setting resolutely. "I have to try."

The Avatar just stared at him in openmouthed admiration, hands clenching at her sides as she tried to fight back the anxiety, the terror that held her in its grip, the malicious voice that said she would never see him again. Korra gulped hard. "Then go," she managed.

"Kid," Lin said, "if you pull this off…" Her head shook. "Then I've seen everything." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck."

He smiled a little. "You three need to make sure everyone's as far away from the coastline as possible…in case I fail."

Korra paled once more, fighting her fear once more as she heard the unspoken, "in case I fail and die."

Barry turned to face Tenzin. "Take care of her."

The airbending master bowed slightly. "With my very breath."

Korra and Barry's eyes locked, their every emotion shared in that one look, though neither could see the other's through the fog of their own. She finally nodded to him, and he nodded back, turning toward the wave, now barely a mile off the coast. He frowned deeply, the rushing of his mind plain to see, but not for the reason she expected.

Suddenly, he rolled his eyes and sighed, "Screw it."

And in the blink of an eye, he was far too close, and his lips were on hers, pressing with an urgency and desperation she'd never felt before. Her eyes were wide as saucers, her body limp in the arms circled around it until he pulled away and let her go. They shared another look, Korra's jaw on the ground, Barry's tightened and set in determination.

Then he firmly said, "Go."

Instantly, he was gone, the upset sand trailing behind him as he shot to the edge of the water, his lightning sweeping to the side as he ran along the coast at a progressively faster speed. She watched him for a few moments, still in shock, when a firm grip landed on her shoulder.

"Come on, girl," Lin ordered gruffly, "move!"

The chief ran back toward the city, followed by Tenzin and a dazed Korra, then set her stance and stomped the ground, sending the rock along the beachfront shooting upward. A few seconds later, and Korra caught onto what she was doing, joining her in building a makeshift sea wall along the coast as Tenzin ran off to clear out the civilians. Less than a minute later, they had a roughly fifty-foot-high barrier with several dozen diagonal pillars to brace it against the wave. It wouldn't stop it, but the damage would certainly be mitigated. With a burst of air, she launched herself on top of the wall, eyes frantically searching for Barry's speeding form.

She saw lightning flash once more along the coastline, zipping past at an extremely rapid pace, but even she could tell something was wrong.

"No," Tenzin breathed next to her. "It's not enough. The wind currents…

Korra stared at the wave in horror. "He's not going fast enough."

Despair pounced on her like a predator, sinking its claws into her flesh and tearing it apart with feral abandon, her chest hurting physically as she heaved for breath. And then her eyes snapped open, and she looked toward the lightning, toward the man who had been her hope, her healer, her friend. The man who could run on water and nearly outrun lightning and get her to smile when she _really_ didn't feel like it. The man who had just _kissed her_. She blinked hard, not even bothering to consider the ramifications of _that_ one. The point was, he could do anything. _Anything_.

"Run," she said quietly. "Come on, _run_." Korra made a split-second decision and leapt from the wall, running across the sand despite Tenzin and Lin's protests. She put both hands to her mouth and yelled. "Run, Barry, _run_!"

…

 _It's not enough. All this speed…and it's still not enough._

"Run, Barry, _run_!"

The command reached him distantly as he streaked past its source, like something from a dream…or a nightmare. _Dad told me that…right before he died. Dad…he died protecting me…because I couldn't protect myself. Because I was helpless._ He blinked once as he lapped the coastline once again. _But that wasn't Dad. That was Korra._ His eyes widened as he glanced at the waterbender standing on the sand, then at the wave. _That was_ Korra _._

And then it hit him: he wasn't eleven anymore, and neither his parents nor anyone else was protecting him. It was just him, the world…and _her_. His light, his hope. Time slowed to a crawl as he kept running, thoughts racing at lightspeed. She was everything, his whole world. While trying to be detached but supportive, subconsciously trying to protect himself from pain and heartache, he had succumbed to the very thing he feared. He had tied his happiness, his very existence, to another person's life, and that terrified him…until he zipped past once more and saw the look on her face: hopeful, determined, believing.

She saw him for who he was, the scientist, the nerd, and didn't turn away. She knew what he could do and didn't recoil or attempt to exploit him. She _believed_ in him, stood up for him when no one else would. And now, she was counting on _him_ …to save her.

Just her.

Something else within him gave way, some barrier he never knew he'd erected and knew with certainty he wouldn't be bringing back.

And then he ran.

…

Less than five seconds after she'd screamed his name, something changed. The lightning shot past her at an increasing frequency, moving faster and faster until—

 _Crack._

Thunder split the tumultuous air as she and the newly arrived Tenzin and Beifong covered their ears. Korra's eyes widened. The only other time she'd heard that apart from a lightning strike was when…Zaheer broke the sound barrier mid-flight.

"Spirits," she breathed, not believing her eyes as gold began to fill her vision.

Lightning streaked back and forth, the flashes happening too many times per second to count, and the wind picking up to incredible speeds. Sand and dirt were whipped into the air, the three on the shoreline shielding their eyes even as they peered out at the wave.

"He's doing it," Tenzin exhaled in disbelief. "He's actually…"

Korra just stared at the wave, heart singing in hope as he just kept running.

…

The wave was fast approaching, and Barry knew he still wasn't going fast enough yet. Everything in his body ached, both from his current run and everything he'd endured earlier that day, but somehow he kept going. Something kept sustaining him, feeding him more and more energy until the very air around him felt charged. Still, he ran, faster and faster, until the world around him became an indiscernible gray blur.

…

Korra's mouth was on the ground again. She could now barely see the tsunami. Her vision was now filled with constant gold, the strikes so close to each other that they now blended together into a single glowing wall along the coastline. The wave approached, bigger and closer than ever, but she could see it begin to falter. _Yes…_ yes _!_

…

Barry kept running. He ran for Nora and Henry and Asami and Lin and Mako. But at his core, he ran for _her_. She didn't know it—perhaps she never would, if he didn't survive this—but she had healed him every bit as he did her, from wounds and scars that no doctor or medicine could ever touch. He wasn't perfect by any stretch, nor was he completely whole…but given time and her care, he'd get there. A glance and a brief slow of the world around him, and Barry saw the wave, barely twenty feet away now.

A final burst of speed lit up his legs like fire as he yelled out the final push.

…

Korra and the others watched in slight disbelief as the tsunami deconstructed before their very eyes, not toppling all at once, but slowing to a stop and leveling out over the course of mere seconds. Before they knew it, the once-devastating wall of water was nothing more than a gentle tide flowing onto the shore. And yet, Korra felt something off.

When she looked down, she had her answer.

Barry was still running.

"Oh no," she breathed. "Stop. He has to stop!" The Avatar sprinted toward the wall of lightning, stopping barely ten feet away. "Barry!" she yelled, hard as her body would allow. "Barry, it's over! Stop!" Desperation filled her as the lightning stayed constant. "Barry, the wave is gone! You did it! Stop! _Stoooooop_!"

…

Everything was a blur. Not even his enhanced perception could dull any of it. And he tried, tried to see if he could see whether or not he succeeded, whether his vortex barrier worked for the city or just himself. On the off-chance the wave hadn't hit yet, though, he couldn't stop. Not until—

"ssss'ooooooverrrr!"

The garbled phrase reached his consciousness in slow motion as he kept streaking past, the sound waves reaching him at odd angles that made them indiscernible. Barry tried with all his might to further speed up his perception and sort it out, eyes widening when he finally succeeded.

"Barry, it's over! Stop!"

It was her voice. Korra. She was alive. He had saved her. And he could stop.

Relief like nothing else he'd ever felt coursed through him as he gradually reduced his speed, chuckling quietly—until his legs, unused to the incredible velocity he'd achieved, tripped.

…

Korra saw it all happen in slow motion. The decrease in frequency of lightning strikes, the fade of Barry's form from a flash to a blur. The trip at over three hundred miles an hour. Her eyes shot wide open as he ricocheted across the sand, bouncing hard several times before dragging and rolling to a stop, nearly half a mile away from her.

"Barry!" she yelled desperately, creating an air scooter and rushing over to his unmoving form, his uniform ripped and tattered. "No, no, no…please. Barry. Barry!" She rolled him onto his back, shaking fingers immediately going to his neck and tensing until they found a pulse, strong and rapid beyond anything she'd ever felt. Korra nearly cried when two ice-blue eyes met hers in a dazed look. "Barry," she breathed out in relief.

"Did we…win?"

"Yeah…we did." Relief and happiness and anxiety and outright anger all whirlpooled within her as she tried to hug him, stopping when he hissed in pain. They both looked down to see his legs both twisted at an odd angle, his left forearm in a similar state.

"Well that's…inconvenient."

Korra laughed. She couldn't help it. Only _he_ would call two broken legs and a shattered forearm "inconvenient." "Don't worry," she chuckled tearily, "we'll have you back on your legs in no time."

He nodded slowly, grimacing in pain, as Tenzin and Lin arrived. "Just…no more running like that please."

"Oh, spirits no." Korra managed to hold him close without making him scream, relishing the feel of him safe and alive in her arms. That is, until she heard the snores and drew back to see him completely passed out.

She couldn't help it, so she laughed again.

…

2 days later

Aang Memorial Hospital

The smell of cleaning agents and antiseptic filled Barry's nose as he slowly opened his eyes, getting a good look at his very white surroundings before realizing he was in the hospital. Very gingerly, he tried sitting up only to bite down on his lower lip when his left arm screamed in protest. _Okay…take it slow, Bear. Just take it—_

His eyes went wide when they met a pair of darker blues, a pair of green visible in his peripheral vision.

Korra stared at him blankly for a few moments, her re-braided hair dangling at the sides of her face, before her face split into a grin. "You're awake!" She dashed to his bedside as Asami laughed from the side, grasping his good hand firmly as if to make sure he was really there.

Barry grinned back. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"There was on my end, kid," said a new voice.

The smile vanished from Barry's face when he saw the look on Chief Beifong's. He gulped involuntarily. "Chief."

She nodded to him. "Allen." Lin stepped inside the room, closing the door behind her. "We need to talk."

"Can it wait?" Asami asked. "He _just_ woke up."

"Yes, and up to now, my superiors have been breathing down my neck about the red streak that saved the city. I need answers for them, and for that, I need to talk to him."

"Then we're staying," Korra said resolutely.

Lin rolled her eyes. "Fine." She looked straight at Barry. "Look, kid…" A sigh. "The rules say you can't take the law into your own hands. The rules define that as vigilantism. Unfortunately, you fit the bill. You're not a cop, or a peacekeeper, or a soldier. You're a vigilante, Allen, and by the rule of law, that makes you a criminal. I may not like it, but those are the rules…and I have to enforce them, no matter who falls under their penalty."

Barry gulped and nodded slowly in understanding, his heart sinking. He always knew this day would come…but he was glad he'd at least done some good beforehand.

"That's not fair."

He sighed audibly. Leave it to Korra to protest a lawful arrest.

"Don't give me that look, Chief. It's not, and you know it."

Beifong sighed in exasperation. "Yeah, I know. And I don't like it, but I can't just let him run around the city unsupervised and expect the president to be okay with that. It's not like any of us can keep up with him, and let's face it, he wouldn't be nearly as effective going any less than top speed."

"But there are plenty of people who aren't cops and don't get arrested for doing good, or even, in some cases, fighting crime."

Lin crossed her arms. "Yeah? Like who?"

Korra put her hands on her hips defiantly. "Well… _me_ , for one. I help out all the time, often as an independent operator, outside the rules of your police department. I don't see you arresting me."

Lin arched an eyebrow. "I did when you _first_ came here."

Korra took a breath, but nothing came out for a few seconds until her mouth shut and pouted a little, arms crossing. "Touché." Her eyes returned to Beifong. "But you don't anymore. Why?"

"Because," she sighed, "even if I don't agree, the Avatar is an accepted peacekeeping entity among every culture in the world. Chaining up the Avatar for fighting crime would be committing political, social, and every other kind of figurative suicide. Well, that and I just so happen to believe in what you do."

"So…what if _he_ becomes an accepted entity too?"

Lin's lips parted as she glanced toward Barry and back to Korra. "What you're suggesting…it's never been done before."

She shrugged. "First time for everything. And how much better would it make your superiors feel to know that _two_ super-powerful people are watching over Republic City as opposed to just one?"

The chief and Barry both gave Korra a long, admiring look, though Lin's was much more subdued as she smiled. "You know, girl…I think I'm actually starting to like you."

"You'll need a title, though," Korra pointed out, turning back to Barry. "I don't think Barry Allen, CSI, is gonna cut it."

" _And_ you're concerned about keeping your identity from being public knowledge," Asami added.

The four pondered the conundrum for a while until Asami spoke up.

"Well…everyone keeps talking about this…red streak that's saving people. We could call you the Streak."

Everyone else in the room grimaced noticeably.

"What? It's accurate."

"Yeah, but it doesn't scream 'guardian' loudly enough," Korra protested. She pulled up a chair to his bedside and slumped over in it, still holding his hand. Something occurred to her, and she cocked her head. "Huh."

"What?" Barry asked, intrigued.

"When you were on the waterfront…zipping back and forth along the coastline…it was like you were… _lightning_. A constant barrier between us and danger."

An auburn eyebrow rose. "'Barrier'? That's your idea?"

"No, no…I just keep thinking…every time you passed me, it was like a horizontal lightning strike. You weren't a blur. You just shot past me…in a flash."

Barry's lips parted slightly as they slowly turned upward in realization. "A flash," he breathed, smile widening until it was a full-blown grin.

…

2 hours later

Barry and Korra watched the TV as Chief Beifong took the podium in front of City Hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began. "Two days ago, our fine city fell under siege. It was attacked by a group of criminals, terrorists who had no regard for the life or limb of their fellow man. Two days ago, nearly a tenth of Republic City was on fire. Two days ago, forty-nine people were killed, either in the fighting or the destruction that resulted. Two days ago, a freak wave, likely created by these monsters, rolled toward us, promising more death and destruction in a single blow than its creators had performed in over an hour. Two days ago, we saw this city prepare to breathe its last."

Her gaze into the camera hardened. "Two days ago, something…some _one_ stopped that wave from ever touching us. It was not the police, or the spirits…or even the Avatar. It was a man that none of us have likely ever seen or known, but all owe our lives to, and though he is not able or willing to walk in the spotlight due to injuries he sustained, I am willing and eager to speak in his absence. This man, this guardian, has been watching over the citizen of Republic City for the better part of the last six months, never openly revealing his existence, and never asking for anything in return, not even a 'thank you.'" A rare, small but true smile graced her features. "But today he does, because today, the Republic City Police Department is fully and eagerly recognizing the entity known…as the Flash.

"His tireless devotion to the safety and well-being of his fellow man is a template for us all to follow, and is the reason that thousands of people still breathe. Wherever he is, I wish him a full and speedy recovery. Thank you, Flash. We hope to see you again soon. And with that, I wish you all a good night."

Korra clicked the TV off with her airbending, sharing a look with Barry as she started to grin. "Chief Beifong really laid it on thick, didn't she?"

Barry chuckled. "Yeah, she's probably gonna scream at me later for makin' her do that."

"Oh, no doubt…although…it did seem _somewhat_ genuine."

He shrugged, looking down at her hand on his. "So…Korra."

She looked at him seriously. "Yeah?"

He rubbed the back of his head with his left hand. "Everything's been really crazy since I've woken up…and we never did get to talk about, um…you know."

Confusion held Korra's features until her eyes widened slightly and hand left his when she realized what she was doing. "Oh," she whispered.

"Yeah." Barry winced when her hand left, already taking that as a bad sign. He gulped hard when she turned away slightly, looking hesitant. He sighed. "You don't feel the same way."

Korra barely met his eyes.

Another sigh. "Of course."

"Barry," she began quietly after a while. "I…I don't know _how_ I feel. Right now, I'm just…relieved that you're okay. You really had me worried…because you're one of my best friends, and I care about you."

"But?"

She finally managed to hold his gaze. "But I can't afford to be in a relationship right now. I can't handle it. I can't even handle waterbending for more than a few minutes before I want to collapse in exhaustion. You've helped me so much, and I've made incredible amounts of progress thanks to you, but…I'm not ready for that."

A small twinge of hope stirred in his heart. "But…you will be? Or…could be? Someday?"

Korra managed a small smile. "Yeah, maybe." Both her hands gripped his good ones. "But no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you, as a friend."

A small surge of disappointment hit him, but he managed a smile when relief overcame it. "Good." His eyes stung and blurred a little. "Good, 'cause I was really… _really_ worried about that."

Korra smiled reassuringly and held his hand tighter.

The door opened to admit Chief Beifong, Barry wondering how she'd gotten back so fast until he saw the look on her face, like she was approaching a wounded animal.

"What?" he asked in a sigh.

"There's something I want you to do," she admitted, "and you're probably not gonna like it."

"So what else is new?"

Lin arched an eyebrow at his open annoyance. "You're the Flash now. Only eight people in the world know that, and three of them are in this room. I'd very much like to keep it that way, but on the offchance that we're killed or otherwise incapacitated, we need to have a full record of the events leading to today." She took a breath. "And I'd like to hear it from you. On camera."

Barry paled slightly. "And if I say no?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Then I make your foreseeable future a living hell, Mr. Allen. Don't think that because I support what you do that I won't come down on your ass like a meteor if you slip up."

"Yeah, but…that'd happen either way."

An evil smirk graced her features.

Barry paled even more. "Or maybe not." A long sigh as he considered his options. "Okay…as long as you can make sure it stays out of the wrong hands…I'll do it."

"Done."

…

Present

Police HQ

"So…that's it. That's how I became the Flash. Well…not all of it, not how I got my powers."

"But that's all I need," Lin assured him. "Just one more thing. Who are you?"

He took a long breath.

"My name is Barry Allen, and I am the fastest man alive. When I was a child, my parents were murdered, and I was attacked by something…impossible. Then an accident made me the impossible. To the outside world, I'm an ordinary forensic scientist, but secretly, I use my speed to fight crime and help anyone who needs me. One day…I'll find what attacked me and get justice for my parents."

Barry looked to Korra, who nodded slowly, then back at the camera as his gaze hardened.

"I am…the Flash."

* * *

AN: And there you have it, folks. For those of you who don't watch the show, Barry says something similar to the speech I have at the end at the beginning of every episode. The tidal wave scene was inspired by episode 15: Out of Time. Next chapter, we begin a new story arc and start introducing some other characters from _The Flash_. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review it. This is one I really wanted to get right.

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Reveal to Iris: start-1:00—"No it's not" to "Good luck", 1:00-1:40—"Make sure everyone's as far away" to "Go", 1:40-2:34—breaking the sound barrier, 2:34-end—wave deconstructs to Barry's trip


	8. Indeterminate

AN: And I've finally updated again! Sorry for the long wait (relatively speaking), I've been busy moving my brother out of his apartment for the last few days, so writing time has been sparse.

On that note, the chapter.

* * *

"My name is Barry Allen, and I am the fastest man alive. When I was a child, my parents were murdered, and I was attacked by something…impossible. Then an accident made me the impossible. To the outside world, I'm an ordinary forensic scientist, but secretly, I use my speed to fight crime and help anyone who needs me. One day, I'll find what attacked me and get justice for my parents. I am…the Flash."

…

Indeterminate (adj.): not exactly known, established, or defined.

1 week later

Republic City, Residential District

6 months, 4 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Well…that's inconvenient."

Mako looked at him incredulously. "You mean you haven't been home all week?"

Barry shook his head. "Chief Beifong had me on overtime in the lab after the attacks, trying to sort out every scrap of evidence they collected." He nodded to the detective. "How's your nose healing?"

Mako brushed a finger over the bandaged appendage, wincing. "Okay, I guess. Nothing I haven't been through before."

Barry nodded slowly, turning back to the place he'd called home for the last two years and frowning. Half of his apartment building was little more than a pile of rubble, and though there had been no fatalities here, the total cost of the damage was already threatening to bankrupt the city. He was now, like hundreds of other people, homeless. _And I was finally getting used to having my privacy._

"Hey," Mako said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I realize it's not ideal, but…you could come live with me for a while."

Barry's eyebrows shot up. "Y-You'd do that?"

The firebender smiled. "Sure. My brother got his own place anyway, so I've got the space. Besides, it feels way too empty without a roommate."

"I-I don't know what to say. Thanks, Mako."

Mako nodded with a smile. "Of course, you're still gonna have to find new clothes and all that."

Barry shrugged and grinned. "I got it covered. Thanks again."

The detective strode over to the fire crew sorting through the wreckage as Barry walked into an alley, checking his surroundings before vanishing in a flash of golden lightning.

…

15 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield, just outside Republic City

Korra watched as Barry streaked his way onto the airfield, a former Equalist staging area now converted into a makeshift testing site for any Future Industries tech. He swept into the control tower in seconds, papers lifting off Asami's desk but not flying everywhere thanks to the foresight she had in putting down paperweights.

"'Sami," he greeted with his trademark grin.

"Barry," she answered.

Korra gave him a nod and smile, somewhat subdued, and he noticed, if his momentary wince was any indication. Asami noticed as well, given the judgemental look she shot Korra, but said nothing.

…

"So what's on the menu for today?" Barry asked.

Asami stood and headed toward a side door. "Follow me."

Korra and Barry followed closely, through a series of doors that brought them to a brightly lit room built of metal and stainless steel—with two other people in it. One was darker-skinned with black hair, his dark eyes sitting in a young, rather jovial face as he turned toward them, a lollipop sticking halfway out of his mouth. His colleague was pale-skinned, with long auburn hair and light brown eyes, her mouth seemingly set in a slight but permanent frown. Both rose from rolling chairs, the darker one yanking out his lollipop and stepping forward with an animated grin.

"This ray of sunshine is Mr. Cisco Ramon," Asami explained, waving between Barry and the man. "Cisco, this is Barry Allen."

"It is _so_ great to meet you, man…I mean, Mr. Allen, or…whatever." Cisco let out a few nervous chuckles, causing Barry's eyebrows to furrow in confusion.

"Nice to meet you too?" He shot Asami a questioning look.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "They know."

Barry blinked rapidly, looking between her and Cisco. "Y-You told them? How much?"

"Everything, of course. They can't help you get started if they don't know the full extent of your abilities."

"And let me tell you," Cisco laughed, "I am _so_ psyched to get started. I've got ideas for a helmet, a suit, a mobile food station—"

"Cisco," Asami interrupted gently. "Tone it down a notch."

He chuckled again. "Uh, right, sorry." Cisco turned toward the frowning woman at his back. "And this _other_ ray of sunshine is Caitlin." He coughed discreetly. "Excuse me. _Dr. Snow_."

Barry almost laughed at his tone and expression, like this was an argument that they'd had repeatedly, but Caitlin's rather blank expression as she clinically extended her hand stopped him. He took it, surprised by how little heat came from her, and suppressed a shiver as she pulled away.

"Cisco is a mechanical engineer," Asami explained, "Caitlin the best doctor in Republic City. He'll be managing your equipment and Caitlin your vitals. Until further notice, they're your team."

Barry looked them both up and down. "Great. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Asami sighed and nodded as they walked off. "What's wrong?"

"You told them."

She shrugged. "I thought we already covered this."

"That wasn't your secret to tell, and besides, Chief Beifong was very explicit about no one else knowing."

Asami gave him a look. "Would you rather run off without any support whatsoever, half-cocked? What happens the next time you run in with third-degree burns, or worse?" She sighed hard. "Look, Bear. Cisco and Caitlin stayed with me through the worst straits my company has ever gone through, and their assistance, both professional and personally, has been _invaluable_. I trust them with my life, and if Chief Beifong has a problem with that, she can arrest me."

Barry smirked. "She probably would."

Asami rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Look, if after today, you don't think this'll pan out, I'll see if I can find another way." She got up close and jabbed a finger into his chest authoritatively. "But until then, you _will_ work with them, understand?"

He gulped slightly, clearing his throat. "Yes, ma'am."

A sadistic, thousand-watt smile punctuated by a honey-sweet voice. "Good." And she walked away toward her employees and a rather impatient Korra.

 _Spirits, that woman can be_ scary _sometimes._ He strode back into the room, giving Cisco one last once-over before deciding that he liked his upbeat, grinning manner. He tapped the shorter man on the shoulder. "So whatcha got for me?"

Cisco's eyes lit up like the northern sky. "All right, you're gonna love this."

He practically sprinted over to another section of the room, inputting a code into a new electronic lock and yanking the door open. He pulled on a diagonally-standing dummy, the mount rolling out of the closet on wheels and revealing a dark red suit with mesh over its shoulders, arms, and lower chest and what looked like leather over everything else, including a cowl that covered most of the dummy's face except for its eyes, nose, and the area surrounding its mouth.

"I built it to replace the traditional turnouts worn by our firefighters," Cisco explained. "After the whole 'Equalist' mess, I thought if we did something to help the city, people wouldn't hate us so much." A frown briefly crossed his features before he smiled again. "It's heat and abrasive resistant, so it should hold up to you running at superspeed."

"Though I would caution restraint today," Asami said. "After all, this is your first day back on your feet. You don't wanna overdo it and injure yourself further."

"R-Right, totally." Barry looked the suit over, smiling as he saw the yellow lightning patterns where the ears would be. "Looks like you customized it for me, though."

"W-Well yeah," Cisco laughed. "So it's not boring."

Barry frowned and tucked his hand under his chin. "Seems like something's missing, though…some kind of…aesthetic off-balance."

"Huh? Wait…yeah…you're right." Cisco pondered the issue a few moments before his eyes lit up. "Ah! I got it!" He smacked his forehead. "Of course, I totally forgot." The short man reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a circular object, placing it in the center of the suit's chest.

Barry let himself grin as he saw the suit in its completion, gold lightning highlights on the ears, belt, and boots, and now a diagonal lightning bolt mounted on its chest. "I like it. Now let's see if it works."

…

5 minutes later

Barry set up at a runner's block some ten feet away from a line of scientists and engineers, all watching in rapt attention as he crouched down. From the side, Korra watched absently, with crossed arms and a slight frown, her mind a thousand miles away until she heard Caitlin speak to Cisco.

"You don't _really_ think he can run that fast, do you?"

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," Asami cut in, "I might not believe it either, but after witnessing Harmonic Convergence, the Avatar State, and a tsunami being stopped by nothing more than the wind flying off Barry's back, I'm ready to believe anything's possible."

Korra gave her a look. "You were there?"

Asami glanced over at her. "Not exactly, but I did manage to see the waterfront from where I was. You just filled in the gaps later."

"You ready?" Barry called back.

"Ready!" Cisco answered, goggles on as Caitlin clicked a pen and held up a clipboard.

Korra looked at Barry, now fully-clad in the skintight suit and facing away from her on his hands and knees in a runner's position, feeling heat fill her face as she realized where she was staring and pointedly looked away, playing with her nails as if unimpressed. Asami just sighed and gave her a knowing eye-roll.

…

Barry noticed everything going on behind him, though he made a point not to let on. Forcing away the slight hurt at how Korra was avoiding him, he concentrated on that infinite source of power within him, feeling lightning dance in his eyes as his jaw set. A moment later, the runner's block was catapulted backward with the force of his launch, his legs quickly accelerating him well past any speed achieved by man or machine.

…

Caitlin's jaw dropped as Cisco was knocked back by the sheer backdraft caused by Barry's acceleration. "That's not possible," she whispered, wide-eyed.

"Zhu Li, are you getting all this?"

Every eye present shot over to the source of the voice, jaws dropping as they saw Varrick standing next to his assistant, who was holding a camera, turning it every time the angle to see Barry changed.

Korra was the first to recover from her shock, which quickly turned to outrage. "Varrick! What the hell are _you_ doing here?!"

The unflappable businessman just sent a thousand-watt smile in her direction. "Oh, didn't she tell you?" He waved a hand at Asami. "I'm on the payroll."

Asami facepalmed as Korra shot her an incredulous look.

"See," Varrick continued, "Cisco may have designed that fancy suit of his, but I was the one who manufactured it. And I…may have added a few additions."

The Avatar's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms at him. "Like _what_?"

"Well, you know those lightning bolts on his ears? They function as a two-way radio transmitter."

She blinked rapidly. "Wait…you mean—"

"Yep, they can be used to communicate with him for a distance of up to forty miles."

"H-How? They're so small."

He absently picked at his nails. "Well, they employ the same tech I use in my detonators, with a few tricked-out parts to supplement conductivity." He gave her a toothy smile. "I tested it on Zhu Li to make sure it didn't have any…unfortunate side effects."

Korra's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Why make a miniature wireless communication device or why help the Flash?" He shrugged. "Like I said, I've always been a team player." And with that, Varrick resumed ignoring her and turned his attention back to Barry.

Korra allowed herself to look at his racing form, the red blur zipping across the airbase at enormous but, as she'd learned, leisurely speeds. A loud whoop came from him as he ran past, circling the spectators, then shooting off toward a far corner of the base. A small smile came to her face at his unflappable manner, the frown returning when she realized she'd been disrupting that. _Some friend you are. You told him nothing was going to change between us, but it has…and I don't know how to fix it._

"Yuan for your thoughts?"

Korra turned to face an approaching Asami. "Just…thinking."

"Obviously," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "What about?"

She hesitated telling her. Undoubtedly, the girl would attempt to convince her against her current course of action, meaning inaction, and try to push her into something she _knew_ she wasn't ready for. All the same, Asami was already judging her. She could feel it. "Barry."

"So you admit it. There _is_ something there."

"Yeah," she laughed mirthlessly. "There's _something_ , all right."

Asami frowned. "Did…something happen between you two?"

"He uh…when that tsunami rolled in, and he figured out he might be able to stop it…he kinda…um…"

"Yes?"

Korra sighed hard and wrung her hands, finally meeting Asami's intense gaze. "He kissed me."

The Sato heir's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped, shock turning to outrage rather quickly. "He kissed you," she began quietly, "and you _didn't tell me_?!"

Korra winced at the sudden increase in volume.

"How could you leave such an important detail of your life out for a _week_? And to _me_ , no less, your best friend?"

"I'm sorry, 'Sami. I really am. It's just…been really hectic helping Barry heal and getting back into the swing of Avatar duties—"

"That's no excuse," she interrupted sharply, falling silent as she turned away and crossed her arms. "You're in big trouble, young lady."

Korra snorted and arched an eyebrow. "We're the same age, Asami."

"Doesn't matter if you don't act like it."

"W-W- _What_?!"

Asami smirked at her petulant display, pointedly ignoring the rant that followed and frowning when she saw Barry crash into a cluster of water-filled barrels. "Oh spirits. Caitlin—"

"Already moving," she replied, grabbing a bag and sprinting toward Barry's last known location.

Worry shot through Korra as she sped past the doctor on an air scooter, reaching Barry seconds later and when she saw his right hand bent at an odd angle. "You _idiot_!" she screamed. "Asami _told_ you to take it easy!"

He yelped when she yanked him upright.

"Oh, suck it up! It's your own fault!"

Barry's blue eyes blinked owlishly at her from behind his cowl, jaw dropped slightly. "Yeah, I know." He looked away as she looped his good arm around her shoulders. "I just…while I was running…I started to remember something."

Korra's ears perked up, and she glanced at him.

"Remember what I told you, about the night my parents died? About what happened after I escaped the house?"

"You said all the rain falling around started floating, and then someone or something attacked you."

He nodded slowly, hissing in pain as his right hand brushed his leg. "I started to remember…in the middle of that lightning, there was…a man, a man in yellow. And I got to thinking…what if the man in yellow was like me?"

"Maybe…just one problem though. You said your powers started the night of Harmonic Convergence. So there's a bit of a hole in your theory."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Just a thought."

Caitlin finally arrived at the pair, Korra helping him to a sitting position as the doctor bended water from her bag and around his wrist.

"This is gonna hurt," the woman said coldly.

Barry shrugged and grinned. "Trust me, I spent the last week healing two broken legs. I think I can handle a little _yeeeeeooooow_!"

The wrist snapped back into place with a wet _shlick_ , Barry's scream of pain actually bringing a smirk to the doctor's face.

"Thanks," he hissed as he stood slowly, Korra still supporting him. A slow exhale and thirty seconds later, his wrist looked infinitely better.

"So," Korra said quietly, "how _did_ you get your powers, exactly?"

"Ooh, is it story time?" Varrick asked, appearing from nowhere in particular. "I'd _love_ to know how this all happened, Mr. Allen."

Barry's jaw dropped a little and eyes widened slightly. "You mean he—" He threw his hands up. "You know what? I don't even care. You want to know how I got like this?" He watched his six-member audience take their respective seats around him. "It all started about a year ago in Republic City, the night of Harmonic Convergence."

…

1 year earlier

Police HQ, Republic City

6 months before the fall of the Red Lotus

A tall, lanky teenager with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder ascended two flights of steps to reach his apportioned workspace, cluttered yet in ordered chaos as usual. He was in no rush, despite the fact that nearly every cop in the station had, for some reason, found a reason not to be in on that particular night. As a CSI, he wasn't often privy to the details of ongoing initiatives, only ever allowed details when operations became crime scenes, but honestly, that suited him just fine. Him, be on the front lines with that kind of information?

Even in a city that boasted the daughter of the first metalbender as its Chief of Police and the Avatar as its guardian, he knew that people who learned too much became targets. He saw enough of the grim results of such cases to know to stay out of the crosshairs of any criminal element. On the most recent case he'd worked, for instance, he'd inspected the crime scene of a robbery in the Financial District that ended with two security guards injured and one dead, managing to pull a sample of dirt from the corpse containing high amounts of animal fertilizer with a certain chemical trace in it.

That trace had led to a farmhouse on the outskirts of town, where Chief Beifong herself had confronted the perpetrators and busted up a weapon-smuggling ring. That had been two days ago. When she'd questioned the leader the next morning about why his crew had killed the security guard, he'd answered that he'd originally been in on the job but attempted to rat them out for police protection. They'd moved up their timetable as a result and taken him out to prevent loss of anonymity. Barry thought it morbidly ironic how the one action they'd taken to ensure their escape had directly led to their capture.

Now, he was bent over a TV, where a newscaster was declaring the appearance of strange lights over Republic City, arching an eyebrow even as he strode over to a nearby billboard and stared at the case currently posted there. Taking a quick look around out of habit, he reached forward and pulled at a tab on the underside of the board, the current case rolling up to the top and revealing an intricate web of pictures, newspaper clippings, and transcripts from police interrogations and eyewitness accounts—all linking back to the night his parents died in some way.

Reports of a firebender who specialized in lightning bending terrorizing the countryside around Zaofu. Articles about residents of a small village near the North Pole who reported inexplicably floating liquid at odd hours of the night six years ago. Wanted pictures of Farooq Gibran and Li Gris, the men responsible for his parents' deaths and the destruction of his childhood home. Everything from the mundane to the impossible was plastered to the surface of his billboard, similar events connected with various colored strings and tacks. Barry took a deep breath and let it out slowly as his hands ran through his messy auburn hair, jaw clenching as he read the headline in the center of his board: _Respected Doctor and His Wife Murdered—Killers Still at Large!_

He reached out toward the entry below that one, a picture of his parents and him, the only one that had survived the fire. His hand froze inches from it when he realized he wasn't alone. He slowly turned toward the door, but it wasn't until he saw the crackle of electricity between the man's hands that he realized why his instincts had automatically defaulted to alarm.

After they stared at each other for a few moments, the man spoke. "You know who I am?"

Barry gulped hard, jaw clenching. "Farooq Gibran, AKA Blackout."

"And you know why I'm here?"

The CSI's fists clenched as his eyes flickered to the billboard on his left. "Finishing the job you started when I was eleven."

Blackout stood in place for a moment before chuckling menacingly. "Kid, that ship sailed a long time ago, and besides, the gig didn't pay well enough to stalk you for _that_ long. No, I'm here for a much different reason. That case you busted wide open, two days ago? Those were _my_ men, _my_ plan…and a very wasted opportunity." Lightning danced among his fingertips. "Because of you."

Barry understood very well the threat in those words, and though his body wanted to curl up and whimper, his mind had been preparing for this moment since they'd met—and they just so happened to be in his lab, with corrosive, volatile, and otherwise deadly chemicals scattered about. In trying to get him alone and vulnerable, Blackout had played right into his hands by giving him home field advantage. His hands and frame tensed with anticipation, ready to dive for cover or his makeshift weapons at a moment's notice.

Suddenly, a burst of activity from the television prompted him to cautiously stride back over and raise the volume.

"This just in, folks: the lights over Republic City have increased in both volume and intensity, and with winds around the city picking up to dangerous speeds, authorities are now warning all residents of Republic City to stay indoors while they attempt to regain—"

A brief burst of static was all that warned Barry before the power in the entire station went out. Scowling at the new development, heart racing, Barry was about to snatch up a vial of acid from his desk and chuck it when he looked up from the TV to see the lights the announcer had mentioned, eyes and mouth widening slightly in alarm when the sky exploded in white and red light, an impact in the bay creating a massive sinkhole where nothing sunk. His eyes went up once more, finding that the aurora in the sky had risen to a fever pitch in intensity, then glancing behind him to see that Blackout was nowhere in sight in the nearly pitch-black room. Without thinking, he strode over to the middle of the room and reached for the chain controlling the shutters over the skylight above him.

He'd pulled it halfway down before feeling a static shock from the metal and freezing in his tracks, eyes wide with fear. Gibran was still invisible in the dark room, but as his gaze flitted around, his eyes widened at the sight of something even more disconcerting: every single liquid in the room, including his chemicals, began to levitate without reason. His jaw dropped slightly as terror slunk into his bones, not even hearing the footsteps in front of him until a second later and turning to see a dark silhouette standing there. No amount of preparation had prepared him for this, and though his mind understood how easily he could fight back, his heart was that of a little child, seeing his parents die once again.

Only this time, it was _his_ turn.

Blue lightning sparked off Gibran's fingers, but the moment he released it, Barry could've sworn it turned gold. When it hit him, there was no searing pain, no shriek of agony, only the mighty jolt of being shoved very hard and the register of his body smacking against something that a part of his mind labeled his chemical shelf. Various liquids splashed against his body, both clothes and bare skin, his eyes fluttering closed as Blackout vanished from his darkening vision.

A supreme feeling of electric euphoria was the last sensation he felt before passing out.

…

Present

Future Industries Airfield Command Tower

The captive audience considered everything Barry had just told them with a stunned air, Korra eventually speaking up.

"So what happened?"

Barry shrugged. "You know what that explosion was, obviously, since you destroyed its cause. As for what happened to me, I wasn't found until hours later. A childhood buddy of mine, Edward Thorne, had been trying to get a hold of me at the station since the fighting started, and when I couldn't be reached, he stopped by and found me like that, sprawled out covered in chemicals and with nary a scratch anywhere except my clothes. Turned out that my heart started behaving erratically, though, and when I got to the hospital, it took three of the best healers in Republic City to stabilize me."

"People never wondered what happened?"

Barry shrugged. "Sure, and when I woke up a week later, I told 'em about Blackout, but since nobody had been able to track him down in the past, they figured it was a lost cause. Considering how close I'd come to dying the last time I'd crossed him, I was more than happy to concede that point." He smirked. "That very same day, I had coffee with Mako to let him know I was all right and watched a clumsy waiter drop a tray in slow motion."

"You started discovering your powers," Asami concluded.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, and it was damned scary at first, but as I learned to control them more and more, I started experimenting with what I could do and…well, by the time six months came around, I knew I could vibrate at superspeed, run on water and up walls, and think so fast it only seems like everyone else is standing still."

A pronounced silence lasted over the group, Caitlin asking Barry to outline the specifics of how he'd discovered each application for his abilities and the scientist dutifully obliging for a good half hour before a new voice spoke up.

"Well that was _extremely_ enlightening."

Barry froze in place, letting the tension flow out when he spotted Chief Beifong's armored form leaning against a wall by the stairs. "Chief," he said sharply, shooting to his feet. "How long have you been there?"

She nearly scowled. "Long enough to know that I should ignore Blackout's request for clemency."

He blinked. "He requested clemency? You mean—" His eyes widened. "He's actually facing the death penalty?"

Lin shrugged. "Could be. How do you feel about that?"

Barry gulped slowly. At one point, he'd have known the answer in an instant, but after seeing so much death, both during his time with the RCPD and as the Flash, he wasn't so sure death was a viable option for someone like Gibran. Sure, he may have been a psychopath, but he was a hired blade. The real problems were the people who hired him, and he fully intended to get the names of every last one involved with last week's attack.

"I don't know," he admitted truthfully. "A part of me wants him to pay in full for what he's done, but the other part…needs him."

Lin's eyebrow twitched upward.

"He's the only one who might know who sponsored the attacks. Who even has the resources for an operation like that?"

The chief frowned. "I don't know. A few people off the top of my head." She looked pointedly at an innocent-looking Varrick. "But we've been trying to interrogate the terrorists we've captured and thus far nothing solid's come up. We'll keep trying. One of 'em'll crack eventually."

Barry nodded slowly, eyebrows furrowing. "So, not that I'm complaining or anything, but…what are you doing here?"

Lin smirked. "There's another caveat to becoming the Flash."

A firm effort barely prevented a roll of Barry's eyes. "What this time? Another recorded statement? A race around Republic City for charity maybe?"

She let out a snort. "Who could you race that wouldn't be immediately left in the dust?"

"Well, considering I'm still recovering, I'd say just about any master airbender would have a shot." He gave Korra a small wink, to which the girl blushed slightly.

Lin shook her head. "Regardless, it's nothing like that." Her face took on a serious tone. "It's something far more practical, I'm afraid. After agreeing to let you become this…guardian—not to mention the story I just heard—it's come to my attention that you're going to need training."

Barry arched an eyebrow. "What kind? I mean, I'm already a CSI and I know how to track down suspects."

"I know. It's the apprehending part I'm concerned with."

He nearly pouted as he crossed his arms defensively. "I took down Blackout just fine, a man you and your department have been trying to catch for _decades_."

She crossed her arms right back. "After suffering almost-fatal third-degree burns and nearly getting an officer killed." Lin lifted a hand when he began to protest. "I know you never would've allowed anything to happen to the detective, but the fact is it was a close call, for both of you. Far too close. You may be fast, Allen, but you're _not_ unstoppable, and you can't exactly heal if you're dead."

Barry let out a long sigh, nodding slowly.

"In light of this, I'm enrolling you in the police academy."

"What?!"

"Not as an officer," she amended, "but as a special nonbending student. To avoid suspicion, until further notice, I'm having _all_ RCPD staff, CSIs and coroners included, go through at least basic officer tactics and self-defense training." Lin's face softened almost imperceptibly. "If you die out there, it won't be because I didn't prepare you."

Though it was said in a rather backhanded way, Barry heard and appreciated the concern in the statement. He nodded slowly and smiled as a result. "When do we start?"

"Today at five." Lin smirked evilly. "And we go non-stop until ten."

Barry paled slightly.

"Which means you've got—" she checked her watch, "—just over an hour to get to the academy." Lin's evil smirk remained in place as she glanced from him to the Avatar and back. "Should give you and your girlfriend more than enough time to say your goodbyes."

The sounds of jaws dropping and incoherent sputtering filled the room in Lin's wake as she exited via stairwell, the following silence so loud that everyone else filed out as well. It took nearly a full minute before Barry and Korra were coherent enough to realize they were alone. Heat filled his face a little until he saw the rather dejected look on her face. With a sigh, he sat down next to her, a comfortable amount of space between them.

"Hey. You okay?"

She looked up at him with a distracted expression. "Me? Oh yeah, fine." Another long, uncomfortable silence. "Hey Barry?"

"Hm?"

"Listen…I know…I know things are kinda weird between us right now, but…things _will_ get better, okay? Nothing's gonna stop us from being friends."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Then let us be _friends_ , Korra. We used to spend every night talking until one or both of us fell asleep. Now we're more like awkward acquaintances that can barely look at each other."

"That's not—" she froze mid-sentence, sighing when she realized it was _completely_ true.

Apart from the initial relief after his awakening—specifically after their "talk" in his hospital room, she'd been distant, almost cold, to the now-eighteen CSI. Red-hot shame was present all over her face as she averted her eyes, only lifting them when Barry physically tipped her chin up.

"Don't take it the wrong way, _please_. I understand completely why you'd feel out of sorts, but the fact is…I've had these feelings for you for…well, as long as I can remember us knowing each other, and nothing changed. Last week was just…an acknowledgement, I guess."

"And a move," Korra added quietly.

Barry chuckled nervously. "Yeah, true. Not a terribly good one, I'll admit. It was more a spur-of-the-moment, in-case-I-die kind of move."

Her eyes flashed something unreadable before relaxing to their usual state. "It still scares me that you even considered that possibility."

"Like I think I told you once about my work in forensics, if you rule something out completely, you could be missing a life-changing breakthrough." He shrugged. "It was a very strong possibility."

"Yeah," she replied quietly. "Please don't do it again?"

It was said so softly, it almost sounded like a plea.

Barry smiled reassuringly. "Trust me, I've got no plans to do anything like that again anytime soon." He checked the clock on the wall. "Anyway, I better get over to the academy before Chief changes her mind about my second job." Barry gave her a quick hug before sloppily ditching the new suit on its dummy and speeding out the door.

All the while, Korra's mind kept drifting back to what he'd said.

 _"—if you rule something out completely, you could be missing a life-changing breakthrough."_

Whether he meant it strictly about his work or not, Barry had planted a seed of doubt in her mind regarding her current approach to their…situation. Sighing hard, Korra got to her feet and strode toward the exit and what she hoped would be a relaxing night out with the former Team Avatar.

…

20 minutes later

Police HQ, academy level

"Form up you pathetic maggots!"

Barry nearly grinned at Lin's familiar yell until he turned and saw her face. Then he paled and instantly fell in line with the rest of the recruits, stance tense as ever. Beifong strode along the line with her hands tucked behind her back as she appraised them with a fiercer gaze than she'd ever used on the CSI. To his horror, she stopped directly in front of him and decided to address the group point-blank, at the top of her lungs.

"Now, you all know why you're here?!"

"Yes, ma'am!" they answered as one, Barry's voice slightly timid due to his proximity to the psychotic chief.

She raised an eyebrow at his actions, but said nothing. "Good! In light of recent events, we need every able-bodied man and woman to know what it takes to defend themselves. It's come to the attention of both myself and department that our uniformed officers are not the only ones to bear the ire of Republic City's criminal element—" Lin gave a pointed look to Barry, "—and we refuse to allow _any_ of our people to be defenseless when faced with someone who means to do them harm. Now, understand well, this is _not_ a free pass from your normal duties. You will continue to work as scheduled, only every other day you will report here at 5 PM sharp to continue training. Is that understood?!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good." Her tone turned venomous. "Start lapping."

The recruits, most too new to direct contact with the chief or too scared to move on command, froze in place for a few seconds as the supervising cops in the background snickered.

Barry closed his eyes when he saw the metamorphosis begin to occur, and Lin's eyes went red, nose spouting flames as she sprouted claws and fangs.

" _NOW_!"

And as one they yelped and sprang into action, Barry about to take off when he felt Lin's hand on his arm.

"Keep it real, Allen."

He smiled and nodded, taking off at a relatively fast clip—well, fast for an ordinary person. To him, running without his enhanced speed was like crawling, but only when he increased his rate of perception. So he didn't, he just ran alongside his comrades, most of them thoroughly out of shape and at one end or the other of the obesity spectrum, and chatted up whoever came close as he varied his speed, speaking in intentionally heavy breaths to keep from being bored. When his fellow professional geeks ran out of all breath to talk, he started to "push" himself, in thirty-second "sprints," then fell back to a slow jog several times.

On his fifth repetition, he took a look around the large spherical training room, a glint in one of the second-floor shutters catching his eye. Slowing down the world around him, Barry's eyes narrowed as the glint appeared again, his instincts going into overdrive as he took a closer look. Ice-blue orbs widened to their max when it moved—and shot out from the shutter. Barely a half-second later—what felt like ten seconds in speed perception—Barry understood fully what the object was and allowed his internal alarms to blare at full volume. A quick calculation and look to its intended path, and he knew he had to do something.

A 360 glance at the room revealed that no one was focusing directly on him. A quarter of a second later, he moved.

…

A blink. A gust of wind in a rough figure eight. A loud thud against the wall, barely six inches from her head.

Lin Beifong blinked once more, jaw dropping open as she slowly looked to her left, eyes narrowing as she grasped the dark shaft and pulled sharply, yanking it loose. With pursed lips and a brief moment of alarm, she shifted her gaze to Allen, who was just finishing another lap, and gave him a questioning look. He nodded ever-so-slightly, and she barely suppressed a shudder when she realized how close she'd come to being skewered—on the end of a dark green arrow.

* * *

AN: I did promise last time that I would be introducing Flash characters to the story a bit more—and I always keep my promises, so I hope you enjoyed the entrance of Caitlin and Cisco, as well as my last little nod at the end. Yes, _he_ is going to be in this story, though his particular origin will be a bit different from the CW version. At least, his origin in Republic City. Also, the "Edward Thorne" character mentioned by Barry later in the chapter is a parallel to the CW show's Eddie Thawne. He'll have a major role in this story, though not until a bit later on.

For fans of the CW's _The Flash_ : just so none of you have any illusions, the plot will _not_ be unfolding exactly like the show. This is a parallel universe where Earth and the Avatar world have been merged, and as such, things _will_ be changed.

If you're a fan of _Legend of Korra_ , you'll already know that things have changed. In the show, it takes Korra far longer to recover enough strength and confidence to even consider bending full-scale or returning to her Avatar duties, over two _years_. It happens differently here for a variety of reasons, all of which would take all day to name. The primary reason, however, is that apart from her parents, healers, Tenzin, and the occasional letter to or from her friends, Korra basically had no interaction with _anyone_ during her two years—at least, not anyone that could make her feel even remotely normal. Korra even mentioned this in chapter 2 and the effects later in chapter 4.

With this in mind, you can be sure that far more changes will be revealed as the effects of the Multiverse Theory run rampant. Muahaha…

More to come soon, I promise. Until then, _oya, vode_ , and stay strong.

Musical Inspirations:

Arrow (Season 2) - The Scientist: Flashback/confrontation with Blackout/lightning strike

P.S.: To my faithful reviewer Revanite201, first off, _awesome_ name (uber Star Wars fan here, you should check out my fic), and secondly…define "sooner." Haha just kidding. This is a Barra story, flat-out, so it _will_ happen, but it _must_ be in a way that makes sense…mostly with _her_ character, and with the current reluctance…well, let's just say it'll take quite the kick to get things started. I think you're gonna like it.


	9. Blinded

A blink. A gust of wind in a rough figure eight. A loud thud against the wall, barely six inches from her head.

Lin Beifong blinked once more, jaw dropping open as she slowly looked to her left, eyes narrowing as she grasped the dark shaft and pulled sharply, yanking it loose. With pursed lips and a brief moment of alarm, she shifted her gaze to Allen, who was just finishing another lap, and gave him a questioning look. He nodded ever-so-slightly, and she barely suppressed a shudder when she realized how close she'd come to being skewered—on the end of a dark green arrow.

…

Blinded (adj.): put in a state of temporary or permanent blindness; unable to see due to external forces.

Police HQ, academy level

It was impossible. The arrow had been dead on target. He'd checked and triple-checked his aim. There were no wind patterns in the room, and there was nothing else that could possibly have hindered his shot. The only thing he could think of was…oh, hell. Of course. _Way to be smart. Kudos for going after a metalbender with a freaking metal-tipped arrow._ Still, he'd never seen anyone metalbend without moving, or react that quickly to anything they weren't expecting. The pure look of shock on her face told him she wasn't, but then the chief hadn't survived decades as head of the force without picking up a few tricks.

Regardless, another opportunity would present itself. They always did.

Checking his surroundings one last time, the hooded, green-clad figure made his way up through the rafters and out a window, vanishing into Republic City's starless night.

…

5 hours later

Police HQ

6 months, 4 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"What do we have?"

Barry yawned loudly, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. "It's certainly different," he replied, grasping the shaft of the arrow recovered from the scene. "Carbon-impact arrow with a synthetic shaft and fletching. This baby was custom-made, probably handmade."

"And what about the green?" Mako asked, arms crossed as Lin stood off to the side, brooding.

"A byproduct of the manufacturing process, I'd guess. Probably mixed in some kind of copper or brass residue that reacted with the other components. That or it's either a _very_ good paintjob, because I've been scratching at this thing for a while, and the green's not coming out."

"I know who did this," Beifong said suddenly, causing both boys to snap toward her. She sighed heavily. "There's a rumor in the Earth Kingdom, been going around for a while now, about a year, actually, about a man in a green hood. Nonbender, far as anyone can tell, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous. He first appeared in Ba Sing Se, when he rescued two socialites from being kidnapped, killing every thug assigned to the job in the process. After that, the trail of bodies just lengthened, from industrialists and lawyers to triads and dirty cops. Without fail, everyone who ended up dead had some connection to corrupt dealings, or so they say."

"Then this doesn't make any sense," Mako said. "If this…Hood only targets criminals, why did he come after you?"

Lin shrugged. "I can't say. Maybe he thinks I'm involved in something I shouldn't be. Maybe he's changed the game." She sighed. "It doesn't matter either way. We're bringing him in, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Allen."

He snapped to attention. "Yes, Chief?"

"Keep working with that arrow. See what you can find out, if there's anything we can use to track him."

"Will do, Chief."

"That'll be all."

…

2 weeks later

Republic City

7 months, 2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

Korra hummed her enjoyment as she greedily sucked down an iced mocha, a new invention pioneered by the proprietor of this particular coffee house. It had been Barry's idea to come, actually, and given that he was currently sitting across from her nursing a latte of his own, he was enjoying his decision.

"Any good?" he asked flippantly.

She just hummed her approval, her lips still wrapped around a straw as she closed her eyes to enjoy the cold sugary goodness.

"Good." Barry grinned into his own coffee, taking a few sips as he considered the events of the last few weeks.

The "Arrow," as the media had taken to calling the green-clad vigilante, had expanded his operations in Republic City, the police having little to no luck in catching him. Bodies were still dropping on the occasion, but on the whole he'd pursued a much less lethal approach, preferring to expose evidence against his victims and let the police take care of the rest. Despite this and the fact that Lin Beifong had been left alone for now, two metalbending cops had been assassinated by the Arrow, in the last two days alone, and as such the hunt for him had intensified. This didn't change when evidence of corruption and ties of said cops to the city's triads came to light after the murders.

The president had visited Chief Beifong earlier this morning, livid at her inability to contain the Arrow's activities. She shared his sentiments, but neither their detectives nor forensics teams had been able to find a distinct pattern to the victims, save that they were all criminals, typically of the violent sort. Unfortunately, that was all too common in Republic City, and apart from putting a unit on every thug and scumbag in the city, there was no way to protect them all. If she was to be perfectly honest, Lin didn't wholeheartedly disapprove of his _modus operandi_ , save for the fact that she was a cop, and therefore not allowed the luxury of allowing a vigilante to operate within her city.

As such, she'd held a press conference just after the first killing, calling for the intervention of the Flash in the matter. He'd had no better luck than the police. Take away the fact that he was still not quite up to the speed he'd been before breaking his legs, and he still wouldn't have gotten to any of the Arrow's crime scenes during the fighting. He was so good at not raising suspicion that by the time anyone called the police or made enough racket to get the public's attention, the Arrow was already halfway gone. Whenever the Flash had shown up, all that was left were bodies, either dead or unconscious.

It frustrated Barry to no end, and as such, after shattering an alembic in his lab, Lin assigned him a mandatory lunch break. Hence, why he was currently sitting in a booth across from the Avatar, sipping on a latte instead of hunting down the world's greatest archer. His eyes turned upward when the shop's door jingled, and he looked over to do a double-take when Mako walked in. The detective had the same expression on his face as he approached their table.

"Korra?"

The girl looked up, letting go of the straw to wave and smile at the new arrival. "Hey, Mako! Havin' a lunch break? How's your day been so far? Have you tried these?" she added, holding up her iced mocha. "They're _amazing_." Korra resumed sucking down the ice-cold drink.

"Uh…" He glanced between them, gaze leveling at Barry at her rather hyper mood. "Yes, boring, and no."

"That's cool," she said flippantly, returning to the coffee and remaining silent until she saw the looks Mako was giving Barry. "Oh, Mako, Barry Allen. Barry Allen, Mako—which you both already knew because you work together."

"Correction," Mako cut in, "we _live_ together."

Korra's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh…did you and Bolin get a bigger place? 'Cause I can't imagine three guys fitting into that teeny apartment."

Mako snorted and crossed his arms defensively. "First off, it's not _teeny_ , and second…Bolin moved out."

Her jaw dropped slightly. "He did?"

"Yeah. Somethin' about getting back into the mover industry. He didn't tell you?"

"Well…no…" She stayed rather sullen for a few moments before grinning ear to ear. "But that's good, right? Your little bro's finally leaving the nest and getting out into the world."

"Yeah…sure." Mako kept giving Korra strange looks. "Hey Barry, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Mhm." The speedster stood slowly, leaving his coffee at the table and following Mako out of Korra's earshot. He was shocked when Mako slapped his arm several times.

"You did _not_ tell me you knew the Avatar!"

"W-What? Oh…okay…I know the Avatar."

Mako frowned and crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "Since when?"

Barry shrugged. "Since…I don't know." _Think fast, Bear._ "Six months ago, I guess?" _Yes, good date. Doesn't coincide with the "kidnapping," and it makes sense since I only asked him about her two days afterward._

"Where?"

"In the pro-bending arena. She went to see a game."

"How often do you see each other?"

Barry's eyes went wide. "Whoa, what? What is this, an interrogation? And who do you think you are, her father?"

Mako sighed. "No, but her father left me in charge of her security."

The younger man's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? Well…tone it down a notch, okay? You know me."

"Do I?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Barry, we work together, live together, pay half each other's groceries and rent, and you never told me about any of this. What other secrets could you be keeping?"

Barry paled slightly. _Not a lot, Mako. Just one really big one._ A sigh. "Look, Mako…it's no big deal. We met a while back, see each other on occasion for lunch or coffee, okay?"

Mako's amber eyes narrowed, lips pursing hard as he searched the CSI's face. "Okay. Just tell me this: why hasn't she mentioned you to me before?"

Allen shrugged. "Hell if I know." And it was the complete truth.

The firebender sighed. "Okay…okay. Just…enjoy your time, yeah? And…be gentle."

"You're not coming?"

He shrugged. "Nah, was just gonna grab something and go. Bolin wants to meet for dumplings a couple blocks down."

Barry nodded slowly, starting to walk back to their booth, but stopping halfway there. "You know," he said quietly, "she's a lot stronger than you think."

Mako sighed. "Yeah. I know. See ya, Bear."

"See ya later."

When Barry arrived back at their table, Korra raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Apparently Tonraq assigned him as your personal security guard."

Korra snorted. "Of course he did. That's my dad for ya. Always overprotective..."

Barry half-shrugged. "Is that such a bad thing?"

She arched an eyebrow. "It was when he didn't let me leave my compound until seventeen."

The speedster blinked hard. "Okay…did not expect that."

Korra shrugged. "It's been a few years. I'm over it. But sometimes…his overprotective streak shines through and he forgets that I'm the Avatar…and it gets really annoying."

Barry nodded silently, taking another swig of his half-cooled latte before frowning into it.

She noticed and lifted a hand. "I could—"

He raised a hand to stop her, smirking mischievously before looking around to make sure no one was observing them. His hand rubbed against the side of his mug at superspeed for a few seconds, stopping when steam began to curl from it.

Korra gaped. "Wha—how did you—"

"Friction," he answered before taking a sip. "Built up enough to reheat it."

"Huh," she exhaled, blinking and staring absently at her cup for a few minutes.

Barry's eyebrows furrowed. "Something wrong?"

Korra inhaled sharply, looking up at him. "No, no, I'm fine. Just…" Her brows furrowed. "Was it a little weird how Mako kept eyeing me?"

He shrugged. "You've known him longer than I have, so I couldn't tell you." As the silence dragged on, Barry thought about it a little more, eyes widening slightly. "Oh, wait…you don't think—"

"Think what?"

"That's he's…uh…" He gulped uncertainly.

She raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Barry?"

"Jealous?" Barry knew it was a mistake the moment the word left his lips.

The way her eyes narrowed and lips pursed only confirmed this opinion. "Why would he be jealous?"

The speedster shrugged uncertainly. "I…don't know? I mean, you guys used to date, right? 'Til about a year ago? Was only a little while after I first met Mako, so I didn't know him too well, but considering he spent pretty much all his time in the office after that—especially after Harmonic Convergence and becoming a detective—we got to know each other pretty well. And when the inevitable topic of breaking up with the Avatar came up, he seemed…well…I don't know. Resigned? Understanding?" He shrugged. "It didn't feel like he'd quite come to terms with it, is what I mean."

Korra was silent a few moments, blue eyes boring a hole into his. "It's been a year since then."

"Y-Yeah, I know," he sputtered nervously. "And I'm not saying he's, like, pining for you or anything. It just felt a little weird how he grilled me."

She crossed her arms. "And why wouldn't he? Up 'til now, he thought we were complete strangers, and now he finds out that you've known me for seven months—"

"Six," Barry interrupted gently. "I told him six. Might've been a bit of a stretch, but I didn't want him knowing anything that could make the uh, timelines coincide. If you get my meaning."

"I do," she replied flatly. "My greater point is, why did you default to that explanation for his behavior?"

Barry blinked several times. "What?"

Her eyes narrowed a bit more, body leaning back defensively, before he finally got her drift.

"Korra," he started quietly, "are you serious?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

A sharp exhale came from his lips as he slowly rose to his feet, exasperation and hurt and outrage swirling within him. "You think…that I'm assuming…Korra, what about 'nothing's changed' do you not understand?"

Korra stood as well, fists clenched at her sides as she raised her voice. "Maybe the fact that _everything's_ changed!" At the disapproving glares from the other patrons, she lowered her voice. "You keep saying that nothing's different from how it used to be, but you're _wrong_."

"Oh yeah?" he asked hotly, crossing his arms defensively at the end of his rope. "And how's that?"

She got closer, their faces inches apart as she hissed out her words. "Because I _know_ now."

Barry blinked, taking a step back.

"I know, Bear. I know how you feel, and I can't just ignore it and pretend that we're just friends, because we're _not_." The heat had long leaked out of her voice. "Even when I knew Mako was with Asami, when I _knew_ nothing could happen between us…I still loved him…or _thought_ I did, anyway. And because of that, things were different between us. And when I _told_ him—"

"Things got awkward," Barry finished quietly, sighing. He nodded slowly in understanding. Another long sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Look."

Korra stared at him dead-on.

"I'm not saying I don't want more than we are right now, because I'd be lying and we both know it."

"But?"

He chewed his cheek uneasily, grimacing as he made a decision. "But if being around me is making you feel this way, then maybe we shouldn't see each other for a while."

Korra stared at him dumbstruck.

"Since," he continued quietly, "you know, the whole 'just friends' thing isn't working out for you."

"You mean…" Her breathing started getting heavier.

"Are you okay?" he asked cautiously, reaching out a hand to steady her.

She quickly waved him off. "Just need some air," she said breathlessly, making for the door.

Barry's forehead crinkled as she exited. "Yeah," he said to himself. "Some air. My ass." He followed her out, finding the Avatar in no time, leaning against a nearby alley wall and hyperventilating. "Korra? What's wrong?"

She didn't answer, only gave him a warning look as her face continued to pale and legs started shaking violently.

He chewed his lower lip, forehead creased in worry. A resigned sigh left him as, at risk of bodily harm, he approached her and put his arms around her. A moment later, they were sitting on a secluded rooftop, away from prying eyes. It wouldn't do to have the Avatar caught in public having a panic attack, especially not if it made it into the media, which, inevitably, it would. That one incident would spell doom for Korra, who had worked so hard to quite literally get back on her feet and whose confidence hung by a thread. It would undo her, and Barry wasn't sure if he could stand to see her in that kind of pain again.

The moment he set her down, her situation worsened, and her eyes were wide now, her entire frame tense and shaking. Pure, unadulterated terror radiated from her entire body, and it was all Barry could do not to hold her until she was better. As it turned out, what happened next removed his choice in the matter. Just four seconds after they landed on that rooftop, her knees began to buckle. Two seconds later, her eyes widened even further and head shook violently. A second after that, her legs gave out completely. Barry caught her halfway to the ground, easily supporting her weight as he waited for her to recover. She didn't.

"Korra," he asked, voice quiet but tense, "stand up. Korra?"

She still wouldn't answer, breathing rapidly and heavily as her right hand clamped on his shoulder, eyes pinned to the ground.

He distractedly followed her line of sight to see nothing out of the ordinary, just hot concrete, then looked back at her pale features. "Korra," he said, a little more firmly, "stand up."

Slowly, her dark blue eyes pried themselves over to his face, overwhelming fear dancing in them. "I can't." Her left hand joined her right in grabbing onto him. "Barry, I can't."

"Oh no," he breathed, thinking quickly and immediately picking her up.

His legs flew into action, and before she knew it, they were miles away, under the shade of a tree in one of Republic City's parks. Gently, he set her down against its trunk and held her close, arms looped around her shoulders as her hands and face pressed against his chest. The sobs came next, body-shaking and heart-rending. His arms tightened around her smaller form.

"I can't do this," she cried. "I-I can't."

"Yes you can," he answered quietly.

"No…I can't." Korra hiccupped violently, pressing closer, her words muffled and broken. "I'm not the Avatar anymore. They took that away from me—and I _let_ them. And now I've got nothing." Another round of sobs. "Because no one's—going to—want—a crippled girl…who can't even save herself. No one…"

Barry's heart wrenched badly as his arms tightened around her and jaw clenched. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _If I ever see the bastard airbender that did this—_

He blinked hard to clear his thoughts and focus on the present. "Korra," he began quietly, raising his voice to speak over the sobs. "Korra…you need to listen to me. Just listen."

He could feel her attempts to calm.

"And listen very carefully, because I don't want you to hear this wrong."

Another few seconds, another few sobs, gentler this time.

"Nobody worth knowing loves you because you're the Avatar."

The sobs stopped entirely.

"Maybe a better way to put it is: no one loves the Avatar. They love _you_. Do you understand? They don't _care_ that you're the Avatar. No one among your family or friends gives half a flying crap about your title, except wherever they need to support you. You could be a nonbender, half-broken, crippled, blind, and mute. They'd still love you."

Korra was quiet for a long minute, face still pressed into his chest, before her head angled to the side, un-muffling her words. "And you?"

Barry gulped hard, not wanting to hurt her but at the same time just _not_ wanting to make that jump. Seven months was quite a while to get to know someone while talking to them every night of every day, but he wasn't ready to go as far as the "L-word." He just wasn't.

"I'd still be here for you, whenever you need me, as whatever you need me to be."

It wasn't satisfactory, not even to his ears, but it seemed to mollify her, because she nodded into his chest. He was about to say more, but a loud beep from his pocket cut him off, and he froze, knowing exactly what was making it. Reluctantly, Barry uncurled one arm from around Korra and reached into his pocket, pulling out a lightning-shaped earpiece and putting it to his ear.

"I'm here."

"Barry," Cisco answered hurriedly, "there's been a sighting of the Arrow in the Financial District. Get over there _now_."

"In the middle of the day?" He restrained a groan, glancing down at Korra's tear-stained features looking back up at him. "I'll be right there." He tapped the earpiece once to cut off the call and started to stand when he realized she couldn't and pulled her up.

Thankfully, her previous paralysis seemed more psychological than anything, as her stance was steady the moment she was upright.

Korra coughed awkwardly. "Duty calls, I guess."

"Yeah." Barry frowned, _really_ not wanting to leave her as he carried her down into an alley. "Are you gonna be okay?"

She looked up and gave him a small but reassuring smile. "I think so. You should get going."

He nodded slowly, starting to turn when she called his name. "Yeah?"

Korra's arms wrapped around her midsection as she frowned uncertainly. "I'm sorry…about what I said before." She looked him straight in the eye as hers started to well up. "I don't want to stop seeing you."

A moment passed before he gave her a reassuring smile. "Okay." A mischievous smirk grew on his face. "But the next time you make me feel like offering the suggestion, I'm dumping you in the bay to cool off."

She snorted loudly and rolled her eyes before seeming to realize he was serious. And then the anger came. "Barry Allen, if you even _think_ about—"

He didn't let her finish, opting instead to sprint halfway across town to the station, where he retrieved a duplicate of his suit, then toward the Financial District.

…

8 minutes later

Republic City, Financial District

The trouble location wasn't hard to spot, given the fact that smoke was curling from a twenty-story high-rise. The Flash was inside in moments, his legs carrying him to the eighth floor, where two of the building's occupants were trapped behind a wall of debris. Only a few seconds were enough to clear a path for them to move single file, and though the source of the damage was still unclear, Barry could easily follow the path of destruction. So he did, through three floors and about a dozen bodies, most unconscious, many with arrows in them. The trail came to an abrupt end about a minute into his search, however, and Flash came to a halt when a gruff yell caught his ear.

"Nelson Hargrave, you have failed this city!"

Barry rounded a corner just in time to see a middle-aged balding man get pierced through the heart with an arrow, the twang of a released bowstring snapping his attention to the opposite end of the hallway. Light blue eyes widened as he saw the source of the attack, one man clad in dark green leather from head to toe, minus the hood covering his features, which was some kind of stitched fabric. He had already turned away, so nothing of his face could be seen, especially at the two hundred-foot distance between them.

"Arrow!" Flash yelled, noting the way he stopped mid-step, frame tensing as his head turned to look over his shoulder. "This ends now!"

Barry took off at a run, closing the distance between them at a pace too rapid for him to realize how fast the Arrow had turned around, an arrow already nocked. He poised to dodge it, but the moment it was released, he did a double-take. A second after its head plunged into the ground, Flash ran right past it. Or almost did.

The instant he came within three feet, it exploded, sending him spinning through the air, yelling as he hit the ground and rolled to a stop. Groaning quietly, Barry pushed himself to his feet and whipped his head around, squinting in an attempt to see through the smoke, then running toward the end of the hallway where he'd last seen the Arrow and checking for any sign of his exit. It wasn't until he heard the metallic twang of a released bowstring and the sounds of scuffing against a taut cable that he had a trail to follow. It led him to a window just twenty feet from where he'd last saw him, to a cable bridging the gap between this building and another one forty feet away, secured with a single arrow.

A dark green form on its roof was seen sprinting away from him, and Barry immediately rushed out the window, down to the street, and up the side of the building. He was in front of the Arrow in a second.

"You've got nowhere to run!"

Even at that distance, Barry could see the slight tightening of his jaw, which was adorned with a light dusting of blonde scruff. Nothing above the tip of his nose could be seen even in broad daylight, since his head was tilted slightly downward. The moment the Flash took the first step toward him, the Arrow's right hand threw something at the ground. It erupted into thick gray smoke, smoke that Barry ran headlong into, his right arm swinging hard at the last place he'd seen his opponent. The blow was met with nothing but empty air, and Barry coughed several times as smoke tried to fill his lungs.

The metallic twang of a bowstring was all the warning he got before a massive stabbing pain shot through his right calf. He yelled in pain as he collapsed to one knee, right hand clutching the injury and eyes widening to see a green arrow stuck through his leg. He looked up when the smoke parted rapidly to see a rapidly moving fist just before it slammed him in the head. He pitched over onto his back, groaning in pain as he tried to stabilize the arrow. Looking up, he saw only the shadowed features of his opponent and the glint in his blue eyes as he spoke in a deep, growling tone.

"Don't get in my way again."

And with that, the Arrow brought his bow down hard—right into Barry's head. And then he knew only darkness.

…

20 minutes later

"Barry? Barry, can you hear me? Barry!"

A low groan left the Flash's throat as he muscled his eyes open, staring at the blank white overcast sky for a few seconds before he registered the panicked cries in his ear. One hand immediately went up to his ear, pressing against his earpiece.

"Y-Yeah, I'm here. What's up?"

"What's up?" Asami asked incredulously. "You're out of contact for twenty straight minutes, and you ask 'what's up'?"

Barry winced at her tone. "Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't—" With another blink, all his memories came flooding back, and his torso bolted upright before he could consider the repercussions of such a rapid movement. And then another groan came from his lips as his throbbing head was clutched in both hands. "Ooohhh that was a bad idea."

"Barry," Asami began softly, "what happened?"

Barry frowned. "The Arrow. He got away. I saw him, was _this_ close to catching him, and he still managed to escape."

The Sato heir sighed hard on the other end. "Are you okay at least?"

"I—" he looked down at his right leg, eyebrows furrowing as he saw the bloody arrow—lying on the ground in two pieces instead of in his leg. It was strange. He couldn't remember breaking it in two or pulling it out. It could've been done in a semi-conscious state or… His eyes widened slightly. _He couldn't have…but he didn't finish me off, so…_ A confused sigh left his lips as he slowly got to his feet, taking the broken remains of the arrow.

"Barry?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little bruised is all. I'm on my way back."

It took him less than ten minutes to reach the airfield, even with the uncomfortable throbbing of his head, and he zipped into the control center with a gust of wind, immediately plopping down in a rolling chair that went halfway across the room to stop next to Caitlin and Cisco, pulling his cowl down. Spotting a box of halfway-finished takeout noodles, he snatched it up after depositing the arrow shards on the mechanical engineer's desk. Most of it was gone in seconds, leaving the entire crew staring at him openmouthed.

He stared right back, mouth half-full. "What?"

Asami just facepalmed and rubbed her forehead. "I—we probably should've called you off, but in the middle of everything, we kinda got sidetracked…"

His brows furrowed. "What are you talkin' about?"

Someone behind him cleared his throat, and Barry slowly turned in his chair, mouth and a good portion of the noodles inside dropping as he saw a heavily-built, green-eyed teen about his age. One that he recognized immediately from both photos and up-close experience. Evidently, he recognized him too, because his jaw dropped as well, and he sluggishly raised his hand to point.

"You—you're—"

Bolin sputtered for words as they stared at each other, Barry managing to regain enough of his composure to respond.

"The Flash." He awkwardly raised his occupied hands. "Noodles?"

Bolin shook his head slowly, eyes widening even more as he started pacing. "Oh no…oh crap. Mako's gonna _freak_ when he finds out."

"Whoa," Barry interrupted, putting the box down and rising to his feet. "Whoa-whoa-whoa, no. Bolin, I know we don't know each other that well, but your brother—he _cannot_ find out about this. Not yet."

The earthbender whirled toward him. "And why not?"

"Because…" Barry scratched the back of his head. "Because it'd be better coming from me. And he's got enough to worry about with Korra starting to resume her duties." He blinked rapidly. "Speaking of which, have you seen her lately? She doing okay?"

Bolin's eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

Barry frowned. "Because last I saw her, she was in a bad way. She may be running and bending, but she's still not all there yet. Today, he pretty much told me that he holds himself personally responsible for anything that happens to Korra. If another…incident happens in front of him, he's gonna flip. Now imagine if he found out what I was doing, who and what I am. Add those two stresses to an already uptight firebending detective—"

"And you get a walking heart attack," Bolin finished with a frown. He looked back up at the speedster after a few seconds. "Fine. I'll keep your secret, for now. But when Korra's ready to get back to it full-force, I _am_ telling my brother. If he finds out I kept a secret about his best friend that even _he_ didn't know—"

"Wait," Barry interrupted. "His best friend?"

Bolin looked at him quizzically, then chuckled. "You didn't know that, did you? Well, you _are_ right about him being super uptight. As you might imagine, that isn't exactly an attractive trait, even for platonic relationships."

Barry raised an eyebrow. "So, what, he considers me his best friend 'cause there's nobody else?"

"No. He considers you his best friend because you know the kind of guy he is and stick around anyway. You still care, even when he's being stupidly overbearing and overprotective, because you understand. You understand exactly where he's coming from."

The speedster blinked hard, huffing out a laugh. "Yeah. Got me there." He gave Bolin a serious look. "Look, Bolin. I know how much you hate keeping things from your brother, but in this case, it's absolutely necessary. Trust me, when the time comes, I'll tell him myself. Until then—"

Bolin zipped his lips and smiled a little. "Mum's the word. Gotcha."

Barry breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"Ahem."

The pair turned toward Asami.

"So what's the deal with the broken arrow?"

Barry picked up the weapon and laid it on a workbench. "This was in me right before I blacked out."

"Wait," Cisco started, "what do you mean 'in you'?"

"He shot me," Barry deadpanned. "In the leg, but still. Hurt like hell."

Cisco's eyes went wide, expression turning to outrage as he crouched in front of the speedster. "You mean he messed up my suit?"

"Whoa, _your_ suit? I'm the one wearing it."

"And I'm the one who designed it," Cisco protested, rising to his feet and crossing his arms petulantly.

"Then when are we gonna start calling it _my_ suit?"

The darker man's eyes narrowed as he bit down on his lower lip. "I'd be comfortable with calling it _our_ suit."

Barry smirked. "Deal. Now, as for the arrow itself, it looks like—" His brows furrowed as he took a closer look at the broken weapon. "Wait a minute." He picked it up by the front shaft, inspecting the arrowhead closely. "Cisco, correct me if I'm wrong, but…this thing looks…"

"Hollow," he finished.

Exchanging a look with his team, Barry put the arrow on the table and held it by the shaft while Cisco grabbed a hammer and slammed it several times, revealing a rolled-up sheet of paper inside.

Caitlin and Asami rose from their seats and approached while Bolin looked over their shoulders.

"What does it say?" the earthbender asked.

Barry's eyes narrowed. "It's an address. And a message addressed to Chief Beifong. 'I'll stop killing when you stop running. 110 Rutherford St, 9 PM tomorrow. Come alone.'" He looked up at them with a horrified expression. "It's a challenge."

"One that I'll answer," a new voice said from the entrance.

Every eye in the room snapped to the chief as she approached the bench, giving Bolin a sideways look, but saying nothing even as the earthbender gulped.

"How did she—" Bolin started.

"I called her when Barry fell out of contact," Asami answered.

"Chief, you can't," Barry protested.

She turned on him with a stern expression. "Don't tell me what I can or can't do, Allen. This psychopath is threatening my city, and if I'm correct about where that thing came from—" she nodded at the arrow, "—you as well."

"But he didn't kill me."

" _This_ time. I can't allow him to continue any further, and if single combat is the only way to ensure nobody else gets killed, then I'll do it. I won't entrust this burden to anyone else."

Barry's jaw clenched. "If this is about my failure today—"

"It's not," she assured him, expression softening as she put a hand on his shoulder. "You tried your best, I'm sure of it, but the fact is, he's been playing this game far longer than you, and there's a reason not even the Dai Li was able to catch him. It's gonna take a veteran to bring down this Arrow person, that's just a simple fact." A few moments of silence passed before she nodded toward the arrow on the table. "So what can you tell me about him? Any advice on how to engage?"

Barry huffed a resigned sigh as he leaned against the workbench. "The arrow's the same makeup as all the rest, built aerodynamically for longer, faster flight. Carbon impact head, double-edged with a razor-sharp point. The fletching is a synthetic carbon polymer."

Lin gave him a look. "English?"

"It's plastic," Cisco explained, "a fibrous plastic. Lightweight, reusable, and barely leaves a trace."

"Ah." She nodded slowly, picking up the bloodied shaft. Lin arched an eyebrow at Barry. "Leg shot?"

He lifted his right calf to show her the gap in the suit, just below his kneecap and barely three inches from severing his hamstring.

Her brows furrowed. "He wasn't trying to cripple you, just slow you down. And he didn't kill you, so either he doesn't think you're worth the effort, or else he doesn't consider you a criminal."

"Which still doesn't make any sense, because you're not, either."

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. He, evidently, believes that I am. The greater concern is that my armor won't do much good against someone who's that good a shot. It'll be more of a hindrance than a help, unless I'm bending it of course."

"And since he's picked the arena," Asami added, "he'll have the advantage of preparation. You'll be walking into a trap, Chief."

"And if I don't go, he'll kill someone else. I'm not going to put someone else in danger when it's my _job_ to confront threats like this."

"Then let me come with you," Barry pleaded, "just to watch at a distance. If the fight tilts too far in his favor, I can blindside him before he can respond."

Beifong's eyes narrowed. "Fine. But I want you out of sight. Completely. And if I wave you off, _stay away_. Understood?"

Barry's jaw clenched, but he nodded.

"Good." Lin glanced at the arrow. "Now get yourself cleaned up and get home. We've got a long day tomorrow, and I need you in top shape."

"Yes, Chief." He watched her go, sighing as he turned back to face the arrow on the table. His head cocked as he inspected the rear of the shaft, where the fletching was attached. "Hey Cisco?"

"Hm?"

"Pass me that hammer, will you?"

Confused, the mechanical engineer gave it to him, watching as he smashed its rear end, revealing another hollow space. Several jaws dropped as Barry unfurled another slip of paper, this one addressed to him. On it were four simple yet utterly confusing and enigmatic words.

 _I believe in you._

They all stared at it for a few seconds, Cisco the only one to speak up.

"What the frack?"

* * *

AN: Once again, apologies for the late submission. Been really busy the last few days, and I was having trouble writing this chapter to begin with. Wasn't quite sure where I wanted to go with the Arrow story arc, but this section's done, and next chapter will end it. Not sure where I want to go immediately after it's finished, so I need ideas for some filler, because there _must_ be filler between Arrow and the next major story arc. I was thinking some Barry-Caitlin interaction with a little backstory for our frosty doctor and the reason for her demeanor. Let me know what you guys think, and, of course, if you have any villains you want to see from either universe.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	10. Misdirected

Misdirected (adj.): having been sent or aimed in the wrong direction.

Next day

10:13 AM

Republic City, Residential District

7 months, 2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

A streak of golden lightning crisscrossed the streets of Republic City at a tense but relatively lax pace, making its way to a middle-class apartment building and its third floor. A gentle breeze sent a series of papers lifting off the surface of Mako's home desk, where his hands smacked down as he gave the cause an annoyed look.

"What?"

"Nothing," Mako grumbled as Barry made for the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. "Just need to remember to fix that door. Stupid thing always causes a draft whenever it opens."

"Or you could just lay down some paperweights," Allen suggested with a tilt of his glass.

The detective rolled his eyes. "I would, except for the fact that I need access to all of these at once." Amber eyes narrowed. "I've got a feeling about this case…"

Barry snickered as he made for his room. "You _always_ say that."

Mako sighed hard. "I just don't get it. Why go through all the trouble of putting criminals in the ground if he's so good at getting evidence against them?"

The CSI froze in his tracks, then took a step back and looked over Mako's shoulder. "You workin' on the Arrow case?"

"Yeah. It just doesn't seem right. Why kill them?"

Barry's eyebrows furrowed.

 _"I'll stop killing when you stop running."_

"Maybe he doesn't trust the system."

Mako gave him a sidelong look. "What?"

Barry blinked rapidly. "Well, you know the first person he targeted, right?"

"Chief Beifong. So what? He missed."

"No," Barry said, shaking his head. "He doesn't miss. And she didn't bend it away."

Mako's brows furrowed. "Then what are you—are you saying the Flash—"

He shrugged. "It's the most likely explanation."

The detective's gaze shifted back to the files. "Still doesn't make any sense. If the Flash was there, why didn't he just stop him?"

"I'm…sure he tried."

Mako stayed silent a while. "Thing is, she hasn't been targeted again since. Why not? If the Arrow is as mistrustful of the system as you say, why hasn't there been another attack?"

Barry's lips pursed. "I get the feeling he's biding his time."

"Makes sense, given his history in Ba Sing Se. They say he's a master strategist as well as a fighter. That's how he stayed ahead of the Dai Li for over half a year despite all efforts to apprehend him. Though given that the last attack occurred yesterday, and yielded evidence of embezzlement, with the victim, one…Nelson Hargrave at the top of the food chain, I'm guessing he's starting to wrap things up."

"Which means he'll be after the chief next."

Mako nodded and rose to his feet, grimacing as he worked out the cramps. "I want to put a detail on her full-time, just in case."

"You _know_ she'll never go for it. Too damn stubborn."

He shrugged and smirked. "I know…but in this case, even she's gotta admit, we've only ever faced a man like this once before, and last time, she lost her bending." Mako frowned as he leaned over the kitchen counter. "Half the _city_ lost its bending."

Barry sighed hard. "Well he's no Equalist, and he's sure as hell not a bloodbender."

"That we know of."

"I don't know. Pretty hard to mask a skill like that."

"Why? Amon did it for months."

The younger man winced. "Touché. I still think she'll say no."

"Maybe, but I have to try. And if worse comes to worst, I can always follow her myself."

"Which would earn you both her ire and a quick ticket to desk duty, if not suspension. You know how she is about disobeying orders. If she says no, she probably knows what she's doing."

"Yeah…I guess." Mako turned to face him. "But the last time the Arrow took a shot at Chief Beifong, it took the Flash's help to save her. What if he's not there this time?"

Barry pursed his lips. "Something tells me he will be."

…

Air Temple Island

"Breathe, Korra. Just breathe."

"Do you see me turning blue?"

"No backtalk," he scolded. "Just breathe."

Korra attempted to take Tenzin's advice, taking a deep breath, though more to stifle the urge to water-smack him in the mouth and less to meditate. Ten seconds later, she was in a better place, the blackness of her eyelids still allowing some of the blazing sun through, and the more she focused on it, the warmer she began to feel. Add that to the deep breaths and mind-numbing exercise of meditation, and she found herself nodding off. She was only reawakened when a boisterous voice was heard approaching. A sharp breath entered her lungs as her eyes opened and looked around to see Tenzin absent, but Bolin and Opal approaching, the shorter girl giggling at something he'd said.

A smirk came to Korra's face at the way they just…fit. Opal's training as a part of the Air Nation often brought her to Republic City, which was perfect, since Bolin was overjoyed every time she got to visit. Why he was here now—and approaching Korra—was a mystery she figured she'd get the answer to in no time. The waterbender met them halfway, sauntering over and stretching out her stiff joints. A brief thought wondering how long she'd been out flitted through her head, and she was about to check her new watch when a beefy hand clapped her on the back.

"Korra! Tenzin told us you were out here, and we thought we'd say hi."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Wait…Tenzin told you? So…he just left me there?"

Bolin and Opal exchanged a look. "Why? Something wrong?"

She shrugged. "No. I just figured he'd be less than inclined to walk away when I fell asleep on him."

The earthbender blinked several times. "Wait…you fell _asleep_? During meditation?"

She could see him restraining a laugh. "Yeah…guess I must've painted a very convincing picture of serenity."

A mischievous glint entered his eyes. "With the way you sleep, drool and all? I doubt it."

Opal's eyebrows shot up as Korra crossed her arms defensively. "I do _not_ drool."

"You so do."

"Do not."

"Korra," he began earnestly, "I've known you for two years now, and we've spent more nights around each other for me to be more than familiar with your sleeping habits. You drool."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. If you came here just to embarrass me in front of company, you're doing an excellent job of it."

Opal restrained a giggle.

"Actually, I was hoping to take you guys to an early lunch. Mako and Asami are meeting us in town, and I thought it'd be nice to get the gang back together."

Korra felt her lips twitch upward. "That sounds…awesome. I gotta get a few things, but I'll be right back."

Without another word, Korra made her way to her room's window, airbending herself to the third floor and entering after yanking open the shutters. Every time she looked at those shutters from the outside, she half-expected to see Barry standing on the other end, hands in his pockets with a grin on his face. Luckily, he was at work, so changing was not an issue. Given the fact that she'd been out in the sun for the better part of—three _hours_ —she figured a fresh set of clothes was in order. Once changed, she pulled her hair together in its usual braids, then took a glance at her reflection.

Dark brown eyebrows furrowed. Something wasn't right. Something looked…off about her appearance. It was too…young. Too much like how she'd looked when she first left the compound. She looked inexperienced, naïve. She didn't like it. Crossing her arms and staring at the reflection with some ire, she tried to pinpoint the source of this issue, huffing in frustration when she couldn't. Korra marched over to the window, about to leap down when something occurred to her, and she reached up, tugging at her hair-ties until they came loose. Her hair fell in loose waves around her face, not obstructing her field of vision or tickling her shoulders uncomfortably. She glanced back into the mirror and shrugged once. _Better._

A leap to ground level brought her to Bolin and Opal, who were linked arm-in-arm and getting almost disgustingly close to each other. A grin made its way onto her face despite her eye-rolling, and she was quick to step between them, slinging her arms over their shoulders as she not-so-subtly pulled them apart. Bolin looked miffed at the interruption, and Opal was quickly turning pink, but they got over it quickly as they made their way off the island. Korra had gotten better at driving, true, but that didn't stop Bolin from gripping Opal's hand a little more tightly as she made last-second turns and dodges that barely kept them from crashing all the way to the restaurant, a decent establishment near Police HQ that offered a wide selection of seafood and noodles.

The moment they were "parked," Opal had to restrain Bolin from physically kissing the ground, as well as her own laughter, especially since she saw Korra give her a conspiratorial wink during the "roller-coaster." The trio made its way inside, taking a seat at one of the booths and ordering five menus from their waiter, who gave Korra a slack-jawed look until she arched an eyebrow and asked him if she had something on her face. He sputtered an apology and quickly took off as Bolin vainly suppressed a chuckle and looked over his menu. It was barely five minutes later when Asami showed up, Mako close behind and looking rather despondent.

"Uh-oh," Korra said. "What's got our uptight detective down in the dumps?"

Asami just smirked and slid to the far side of her bench while Mako slumped down next to her.

The Avatar leaned in closer. "Well?"

Mako muttered something incoherent while Asami's shoulders shook with silent laughter and she translated. "Chief Beifong caught him following her after denying his request to put her under police protection. As a result, he now has evidence logging duty with the precinct's resident geek."

"Nerd, actually."

Korra's smirk vanished as she turned toward the new voice. "I didn't know we were expecting anyone else."

At this, Mako managed a small smile. "Well, since he got stuck with it with me, I decided I might as well take Barry along for lunch. Least I can do for makin' a mess of his workspace."

The CSI snorted as he slid in next to Mako, giving Korra's hair a brief look. "Mako, please, my workspace is _already_ a mess. No need to sugarcoat it to avoid hurting my feelings."

"Well at least it has _some_ order to it, unlike how we left it."

Barry smirked. "Well, if it's any consolation, I find it often helps to take a step back when a problem's starting to frustrate you. When we get back, we'll know how to properly organize it all."

Korra looked between Mako and his coworker with raised eyebrows, then shot a pointed glance at a confused Opal.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the scientist sputtered, holding out his hand to the airbender. "Where are my manners? Barry Allen, RCPD, CSI Division."

Opal's eyebrows shot up as she extended her hand. "CSI?"

"Crime Scene Investigation," Mako filled in. "They pick apart a crime scene and find whatever we can trace to catch the bad guys."

Korra couldn't miss the way her eyes lit up. "I'm familiar with forensic science. The basics, anyway. Back in Zaofu, there wasn't much to do except read and work." She smiled. "And Mom has a pretty extensive library."

Barry grinned. "That's awesome! How far did you get in your studies?"

"Only as far as the arsenic test, but I've been a little distracted lately. Spreading myself too thin, over too many subjects."

He leaned in. "What else you interested in?"

"Well…" Her voice trailed off as she collected her thoughts. "To be honest, a little of everything. I've always had a thirst for learning, and that's only grown the more I take in. My interests are so diverse, I can't even begin to imagine what I'd do with it all."

"It can be pretty overwhelming," Barry admitted. "Though I can't say I know what you're going through. My academic career, when it could be pursued, consisted of only one subject and whatever I needed to become an expert at it."

"Forensic science?"

He nodded.

Opal's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned as she leaned toward him. "Can I ask why?"

Barry blinked once as Korra shot him a warning look. "I uh…my parents were killed when I was eleven. One of the guys involved is sitting in a holding cell in Police HQ, just one floor below my lab."

Opal's jaw dropped a bit.

He sighed. "The other one…I haven't heard of in years. Since that night, actually. It's like he just…dropped off the face of the planet." A smile was forced onto his face. "But better one than none, right? Justice has to be served, even if it's incomplete, because to do nothing…it just isn't fair to the people they've harmed."

Mako put a hand on his shoulder as Korra restrained the urge to grab his across the table.

A smirk made its way onto Barry's face. "You know the best part, though? The guy we have in custody, Blackout? I helped bring him down. My evidence put the police on his trail, and, by extension, the Flash."

Opal smiled a little. "Well, if I ever meet him, I'll have to say thank you. You seem like a good man, and though I practically just met you, I know your parents would be proud."

Barry grinned and nodded several times. "Thank you. Now, let's eat."

He and Korra exchanged a look as the food started to arrive, where no message was passed, only a contented silence. Mako had invited him into their circle, in public, and Korra wasn't pushing him away. That look conveyed more gratitude than she could immediately understand, though she thought she knew why. Since yesterday's…incident, she'd spoken to Mako over the phone, trying to get another perspective on the cheerful speedster and assure her old friend that he didn't need to be concerned.

One thing in their conversation stuck out, specifically the fact that apart from him and Chief Beifong, no one really visited him up in that lab. Given the fact that he'd graduated at the top of his forensic science class at age fifteen, over a decade ahead of any of his peers, and immediately been recommended for a job at HQ, that meant he'd spent just over a year and a half stuck in that lab or at crime scenes with virtually no human contact. Mako didn't even know if he had friends outside of work, barely knew his eating or leisure habits. Far as either of them knew, he didn't have any. He ate, worked, and slept, only to do it all over again the next day without hesitation or complaint. By all accounts, previous and current, Barry lived for his work, and with his new responsibilities as the Flash, she could only assume that would intensify.

Thus far, he'd been keeping a level head about it, but Korra knew better than anyone how easily stress can destroy a person. She could only hope that he wasn't like her in that regard, that he was smart enough to seek help before that happened. Up until now, he'd shown no signs of cracking, but something told her there was a reason he smiled so much, so easily, and it wasn't just his optimistic personality. He was a victim of a tragedy she could barely dream of. That kind of trauma couldn't just be pushed past, it needed to be coped with, and everyone coped differently.

His approach was smiles and humor, with the occasional nerd speak and geeking out, all of which were far more endearing than she'd ever admit. But she'd taken a peek under the hood and cowl, under the smiles and laughs and optimism. The first time he'd taken on Blackout, she remembered all too clearly how _broken_ he'd looked, curled up like a child. She imagined he'd looked exactly like that after his parents died, and seeing that woman burned through, just like them…

A sigh left her throat as she considered it further, looking up to see Barry chatting animatedly with Bolin about the merits of fire ferrets as a means of entertainment. Asami shot her a questioning look, but Korra just shook her head and smiled.

"Tired," she mouthed.

"Ah," Asami mouthed back, returning her attention to the conversation and chuckling at something they'd said.

Korra frowned once again as she observed Barry, focusing on his expressions and posture. _He never came to terms with his grief, did he?_ Everything since then, by his own admission, had been geared toward finding his parents' killers, and though one of them was already behind bars pending trial, she could tell by his earlier tone that he wasn't satisfied. That he wouldn't be until the other one was found as well. _Is it hope or desperation that drives him to search? It's been seven years since it happened, and no one's seen or heard from the second man. How can he keep going after all this time?_

When they cleaned out their plates and started to leave, she pulled him aside and asked.

His expression sobered to a concentrated frown. "I spent the last six years before I started helping this city thinking I would never be able to find the men who murdered my parents, much less catch them. Now one of them's sitting in a prison cell, pending a trial and probably execution. So, it's hope, Korra. Hope that the trail's not cold enough to hide that murderer forever." His eyes darkened. "Everyone gets what's coming to them, in this life or the next."

Korra gulped and nodded, then patted his shoulder. "See ya later, Bear."

He nodded back and started walking away, hands in his pockets.

"Hey Bear."

Barry turned his head to look at her.

She smirked and raised an eyebrow, striking a pose. "You still like the hair?"

He bit down on his lower lip to restrain a grin that slipped through anyway. "Yeah. I still like the hair." He was out of sight seconds later.

Bolin cleared his throat next to her. "So…what was _that_ all about?"

She didn't like his tone, and she _certainly_ didn't like the teasing grin on his face. "Just friendly banter. It's kind of our thing."

Bolin dramatically put a hand to his chest. "Oh Korra, you _wound_ me. Here I thought banter was _our_ thing."

Korra crossed her arms. "So what, I can't banter with anyone else?"

"Nope."

"Oh stop it," Opal laughed, looping an arm through his. "It was lovely to see you again, Korra."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You're not coming with me?"

"Oh, no," Bolin answered, "I live pretty close to here, and Suyin's gonna send someone for Opal later tonight, so…"

Korra arched an eyebrow with a smirk. "You're just trying to avoid getting in a car with me behind the wheel, aren't you?"

"W-Whaaaaat? Pssht, why would you say that? Can't I opt to take a long, luxurious walk with my girlfriend? Instead of a blood-chilling deathtrap," he added in a not-so-subtle mutter.

"What is _so_ wrong with my driving? We got here in one piece, right?"

Bolin sputtered with a few incomplete sentences for a few moments before shaking his head. "You know what? I'm not even gonna dignify that with an answer. Opal, we're leaving. See ya later, Korra."

"Running away?" she called as they marched off.

"Walking, actually," he called back, checking to see that Opal wasn't looking before he stuck his tongue out at her.

Korra's shoulders shook with silent laughter as she shook her head and leapt into her car.

…

A pair of intense blue eyes gazed out from the confines of a nearby building, narrowing slightly as they peered down at the Avatar, who left the restaurant seconds later.

"Do you think she'll be a problem?"

The blue-eyed man gave the speaker an appraising look. "Perhaps. Though not as much if she's isolated. It would've been better if she'd returned to the South Pole for her recovery…but we can still work with this. Send an envoy to the earthbender. Make him an offer."

"Yes, sir."

"And _Sarab_ ," he added, cutting off the other man's attempt to leave. "No one can know that we're operating in Republic City. No one."

The taller man bowed slowly. "Yes, _Al Sa-Her_."

He left moments later, leaving his superior to gaze out at the presidential palace with an upturned nose, hands behind his back as two Dai Li agents flanked him on either side.

…

6 hours later

8:20 PM

Future Industries Airfield

"What do you got for me?"

Cisco grinned and pulled on a drawer animatedly. "Oh, you're gonna _love_ this." Two dark metallic panels were pulled from foam casing and handed to the metalbending master. "Since the Arrow is a good enough shot to hit the gaps in your armor, I designed these: interlocking metal shields that can be expanded or retracted with your bending. The design is based on the blades some cops use, so once they're strapped directly to your gauntlets, they should be just as easy to manipulate."

Lin nodded once, locking each shield on her arms and feeling several pounds added to her frame. A clench of both fists sent the devices expanding to their maximum width, the interlocking vertical panels forming circular shields with radii of six inches. She shifted her gaze to Cisco. "And you're sure these things will stop his arrows?"

"Based on the chemical composition of every one we've recovered so far," Barry said, "yeah. It should work."

"The shields are made of a silicon-carbide composite," Cisco explained, "so they're lightweight but extremely durable."

Lin nodded slowly. "Good work." She retracted the shields, then checked the clock on the wall with a sigh. "Better get this over with."

Barry frowned. "Chief, I still think my interference should be part of the plan. All you would have to do is distract him, and then I'll ambush him from behind. He won't even see me coming."

"That's the issue, Allen, he'll _expect_ that. He's going to expect that I won't honor the terms of our engagement, which means he'll be partially distracted looking for my backup. That'll serve to my advantage, at least for a while."

Barry nodded slowly as the others went to various corners of the control center to prep for their vigil.

"Allen," Lin started softly, "I know you only want to protect me, but please, trust me when I say that I have to do this alone."

"Why?"

Her features set. "I can't say. Just trust me. Please."

Her tone conveyed far more than her trademark stubbornness, a resolve that spoke of a greater plan, something that would turn the tables on her opponent. He could only hope she was right as he sighed and nodded.

"Good." Lin took a quick look around. "I better get going."

"Okay," Cisco said as he approached, "but before you do, take this." He handed her a small rectangular device with a round piece sticking out of its side. "I reverse-engineered the tech Varrick used on Barry's earpiece and managed to tweak it a bit, made it three-way instead of just two-way." He nodded to Barry. "Did the same to yours, so you should be able to listen in on what's happening, even at a distance."

The speedster nodded slowly as he made for his Flash suit, putting it on in seconds. "I'm gonna scout the location ahead of you, see if I can pinpoint where he'll come in, or if he has any traps scattered around."

Lin frowned, but nodded. "Fine, but make damn sure he doesn't see you. If I'm right, he's already waiting there, so it may be better to just stay away."

The Flash nodded once, then vanished in a burst of wind and lightning.

"We'll be monitoring things from here," Caitlin said. "I'll have a car ready in case you need medical attention."

"Appreciate it."

"Be careful, Chief," Bolin pleaded.

"I'll be fine, kid. Trust me, I've faced worse."

The trip to the location was short but tense. She'd rarely been so on edge. The last time a nonbender had challenged her so directly was Amon…and that had _not_ turned out in her favor. The good news was that the chances of losing her bending again were slim to none. The bad news was that the chances of losing her life were exponentially higher. But if she was right, if she'd figured the Arrow out the way she thought…it wouldn't come to that. The moment she stepped onto the roof, every sense was trained on her environment, eyes scanning the area keenly before closing as she retracted one of her boots.

A bare foot stomped the rocky ground of the building's top, her seismic sense outlining every turn and twist, every fan and generator and stairwell access door, but no Arrow. A metallic twang caught her attention, and both shields expanded to maximum as she spun in its direction, the shot glancing off one of them and imbedding itself in a wall. Her green eyes lifted to see a darker green figure perched on a radio tower on an adjacent building, hood over his features and bow drawn back, another arrow already nocked.

"Lin Beifong, you have failed this city!"

She arched an eyebrow as the shields retracted. "I fail to see how. Mind explaining?"

In response, he let the arrow fly, to which she responded by flicking her hand to the side in a metalbending maneuver. Shock and pain warred for dominance when the arrow sunk into her left shoulder anyway, the impact knocking her back into the wall with a grunt. Green eyes widened as they stared down at the injury, then shifted back to the vigilante.

"Wha—how?" she breathed.

"That arrow's made entirely of a high-density carbon polymer. No metal or anything else you can bend." He leapt from the radio tower and landed on the far side of her roof with a roll, drawing back another arrow upon rising to his feet. "I learned from our last encounter."

She arched an eyebrow, grunting as she yanked the arrow out. "Our 'last' encounter? You mean in the academy? I didn't stop you then, either."

Even at this distance, she could see his eyes narrow. "Whatever the case, you won't be bending your way out of this one."

He released another arrow, this one reflected off one of her shields as her other arm shot a cable from her arm, its sharp metal point flying just past his face as he spun away, drawing another arrow from his back in the motion. He released it a second later, running sideways as she continued to dodge and deflect every rapid-fired shot, every one of them impeccably on-target. Lin had never seen such sheer skill before, and despite her own extensive experience, she could practically see the gears turning in his head, the vigilante's keen mind already working out a way to beat her. So she changed the game, earthbending one section of the roof after another until the concrete formed a rooftop maze.

The Arrow excelled in open spaces with long sight lines. Taking the open environment away would rob him of his ranged advantage and force him to either close the distance or climb on the walls to take a shot. Either way, there were only so many places he could be thanks to her efforts, and she would see him coming thanks to her seismic sense. Another stomp put the outline of the maze in her mind's eye, slight vibrations of movement detected through two walls on her right. She bent the first wall out of the way before punching the second, sending a large chunk of concrete toward the source of the vibrations.

The Arrow rolled out of the way just in time, spinning mid-movement and rising to a crouch, arrow already nocked. He fired as she ducked and rolled away, putting up an earth wall between them and blocking two more shots as he withdrew. A metal cable shot out from the side of the wall, nearly skewering his firing arm, but missing as he performed a backward handspring and drew an arrow from his thigh quiver. A seismic pulse revealed his rapidly approaching figure a second before an arrowhead stabbed down toward her chest. Lin's gauntlets and shields reflected one strike after the next as he bore down with relentless fury.

She managed to throw him off-balance when he brought his bow down with a hard strike, sidestepping his maneuver and elbowing him in the back as her other hand came down for a shield bash. He rolled with her first strike, using the momentum to catapult himself forward into a roll, the movement spinning him back toward her as the arrow in his hand went onto his bowstring. The moment he released it, she deployed her shields, catching it between them as she slammed them together in front of her torso, pulling them apart to see him charging in, bow in his right hand. The hard frame of his blunt weapon impacted her face hard, causing her to grunt and stagger backward before deploying a blade on her right gauntlet while her left remained a shield.

Another bow strike was deflected off her shield as her arm blade thrust toward his shoulder, the limb smacked away with his empty hand as he countered with a roundhouse kick. She withdrew from the blow and charged in with a shield bash that sent him back several steps, right leg stomping hard and popping him into the air as the ground beneath him shot up in pillar form. The Arrow flawlessly recovered midair as he turned the knockback into a backflip, landing in a backward roll and breaking off into a run that took him out of her sight and into another section of the maze.

Refusing to play along, she launched herself onto one of the maze's walls and sprinted toward his last location, one of the steps barefoot and allowing her to pinpoint his location. The Arrow sprung up one of the walls to vault himself onto an adjacent wall, instantly spinning to face the approaching police chief as he landed in a crouch. He drew an arrow from his side quiver, firing as soon as it was nocked. Lin swiped it away with her blade as she metalbent her left shield off her arm and threw it in his direction. His upper body leaned backward as it went fully horizontal, dodging the flat projectile by barely an inch as it returned to the arm of its owner.

Unfortunately for him, his method of dodging also threw him completely off-balance and sent him falling back into the maze. Knowing exactly where he was, Lin earthbent the walls around him before he even hit the ground, encasing him in a concrete box without a single gap. The chief breathed heavily a few times before jumping down in front of the box.

"It's over, Arrow."

Silence was her only answer, but as she put a finger to her ear to call for Cisco and the others to call it in, the concrete wall began to turn red-hot. Her eyes widened. _Don't tell me he's a freaking lavabender._ As it turned out, he wasn't. A half-melted arrow was seen through the rapidly expanding hole as another flew out toward her, the shot barely missing a gap in her armor and reflecting off the metal as she leapt back. A green figure dive-rolled out of the molten hole, right arm snapping toward her despite the distance, a small thrown projectile managing to get past her surprised guard and sink its way into her upper left arm.

A pained grunt left her lips as she raised a shield to deflect the next shot, retracting her blade and firing a cable at his legs. The Arrow cartwheeled away, landing in a solid crouch and rolling away when she fired again, drawing and firing another arrow that glanced off her right gauntlet. He performed a wallrun up an adjacent wall as Lin threw another cable, finally managing to snag his waist and slam him into the opposite surface. His bow clattered to the ground as he yelled in pain, the metalbender sending him crashing against one hard surface after the next before tossing him through his former cage, the structure shattering as his body went through it.

The vigilante rolled to a stop and painfully rose to all fours, looking up at her from under his hood as his gaze flickered to his fallen bow. Lin stomped, dislodging a concrete projectile and throwing it in his direction. A backwards handspring sent him out of its range, and he spun around the next shot as he sprinted toward her. A forward wallspring and midair spin sent him dodging the last earth projectile as he came down with a flying cross. She blocked the blow and countered with a knee that he pushed away with his left hand, backpedaling then getting in close to limit her bending options.

One of her shields impacted with his fist, causing him to yelp in pain, then roundhouse kick her shield arm as his entire body spun, his other leg managing to land a side-kick on her chest. The surprisingly strong blow knocked her back a few steps, allowing him to roll for his bow and retrieve it just as she charged back in. He rose with a diagonal swing of his bow, the strike knocking her shield away once again as his empty hand landed in her right. She twisted his fist away and head-butted him solidly, kneeing him in the chest, then grabbing his left arm and tossing him over her shoulder.

His recovery was far more sluggish than before, but his eyes were keen and calculating as ever, and she knew he had something else in the works, even if his quiver _was_ mostly empty at this point. With a faked charge at her, he spun to the side and vaulted over a wall, Lin following immediately as he leapt from one wall to another, then jumped down into the maze and kept running. She followed hot on his heels, rounding a corner right after him but finding only a dead end. Eyes narrowed, she retracted one of her boots again only to whirl around when the whiz of rapidly moving air reached her ears. Before she could react, two arrows pinned her legs to a nearby wall via cables wrapped around her ankles.

Two more twangs were heard from another direction as her wrist armor was caught and nailed to the same wall, completely immobilizing her. A green figure leapt from the source's direction, landing ten feet away from her and drawing an arrow back threateningly. Behind the Arrow, she could see the Flash's red-clad frame perched atop the radio tower, ready to intervene at a moment's notice, but she shook her head ever-so-slightly, seeing his jaw tighten in response, but the speedster making no move to attack.

"You're going to pay for your crimes against Republic City."

"And what might those be?" she asked hotly, narrowing her eyes. "If you're going to play judge, jury, and executioner, you should know that in a court of law, the accused has a right to know exactly what they're being accused _of_."

"Bribery, corruption, negligence. Take your pick," he growled.

"Corruption? How do you figure?"

"The two policemen I executed earlier this week. They were involved in racketeering, intimidation, coercion. They were in the pocket of every triad and criminal organization in the city, their actions far too high-profile for you not to notice. You _knew_ what they were doing and did _nothing_!" The arrow drew back further. "That makes you an accessory."

She arched a gray eyebrow. "Does it? Perhaps so." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Or it would be if there weren't a greater plan in place."

The Arrow blinked, frame tensing. "What are you talking about?"

"I knew about their activities, yes, but I also knew that they were connected to a much larger organization operating in Republic City. I had more than enough evidence to convict and ship them off to some hellhole, but I refrained from doing so. Why? Because they were the minnows, and I was after the shark."

His blue eyes widened slightly, shadowed expression shifting in dread before hardening in anger. "You're _lying_ ," he hissed.

"Am I? I suppose I could be, given that you've got an arrow to my head, could be trying just to save my own skin…but if you know my reputation, you know I don't crack so easily."

The Arrow just stood there, tense as a high wire.

"So make the call, Arrow. I told you the truth, it's up to you whether to believe it. And if you don't, then why haven't you fired yet? We _all_ know you've killed before, so tell me…why are you hesitating?"

He remained silent, jaw tightening.

She smiled internally, warm confidence flooding her. "Is it because you're considering the possibility that I might be right? But no, you can't consider that, because if you do, you'll have to admit that you made a mistake, that in your self-righteous fervor, you undid months of work and hamstrung a plan that would've brought the entire system of corruption to its knees. Because you didn't trust the system, trust me to know what I'm doing, you needlessly executed valuable resources and doomed this city to another six months of misery."

His jaw dropped slightly as his shoulders began to heave with heavier breaths.

"So make your choice, Arrow. Make the call. I won't try to stop you." Lin shot Barry a look that he do the same, then shifted back to the vigilante, his last impact arrow nocked and drawn back fully, jaw clenched. "Make. The. Call."

What little she could see of his face twisted in anger, frame tensing as the shaking built to a fever pitch, his firing hand pulling back even more as he roared in rage and released the arrow.

A blink, a high-pitched whiz of rapidly moving air, a loud thud.

Lin didn't even turn her head or eyes, opting to continue staring at the Arrow, his weapon imbedded in the wall just three inches from her face. His shoulders continued to heave as he stumbled backwards into a roof access door, bow clattering to the floor as he slid down the wall into a sitting position, head in his hands. Breathing a sigh of equal relief and empathy, she tensed her arms and earthbent the wall behind her, separating the sections of concrete where the arrows were stuck, then knocking the weapons off and letting them fall to the ground. Beifong approached the vigilante like a wounded animal, putting her hands on her hips as she saw his slightly shaking frame.

"I didn't know," he whispered, broken voice barely audible. "I swear I didn't know."

"I know," she replied, tone somewhat softer than before. "This is why vigilantism is a crime. When you take the law into your own hands, you rarely have all the facts, and though you _were_ eliminating criminal elements from the equation, your focus on treating the symptoms blinded you to the bigger picture, allowing the disease to fester."

He nodded slowly, still despondent as ever.

She frowned deeply. "You know I have to take you in now. Criminals or no, assassinating someone is still murder."

The Arrow nodded again, slowly rising to his feet. "Yes, I know. But first I need you to hear me out, and make me a promise."

Her head cocked and eyes widened as he pulled his hood back, revealing a young, scruff-shaded man with cropped blonde hair and piercing blue eyes surrounded by green paint.

"My name is—"

"Oliver Queen," she finished, tone disbelieving. "I know who you are. Some socialite big shot in Ba Sing Se, or at least you were before the Earth Kingdom went to hell."

He nodded. "Before I started operating in Ba Sing Se, I was trapped on a deserted island for five years, where I honed my skills after discovering that my father was involved in something…horrible."

"There was an accident that sunk your boat in the middle of the South Sea, I remember."

Another nod as he zipped his green vest down halfway, reaching inside. "Before he died, my father gave me this." His right hand pulled out a small black book. "He explained that the people on this list were all part of a conspiracy that had to be stopped at all costs, a conspiracy that he was a part of until he realized what they were really trying to do."

Oliver handed the book to her, allowing her to leaf through, the chief mentally noting the sheer volume of names already crossed out.

"The night of Harmonic Convergence, I finally managed to escape the island and make my way back to Ba Sing Se. I spent the next six months hunting down the people on that list, but it wasn't until seven months ago that I finally realized the connection between them all."

Lin tabbed through the pages of the notebook, to around where the middle of the crossed-off names was, her eyes widening as she recognized four names in particular. She looked back up at him. "Zaheer? P'Li? You mean…"

Oliver nodded gravely. "They're all members of the Red Lotus."

Beifong cast the book a horrified look as she flipped through the pages, revealing that at least a third of the book was filled with names that remained uncrossed.

"Just promise me that you'll devote all your efforts to apprehending these people, and I'll come quietly."

Lin locked gazes with Oliver, expression grave. "I promise. These bastards tried to kill me and my sister, and the Avatar as well." She held the notebook up. "This will help _immensely_."

Oliver nodded once more, then sighed and held his hands up in front of him. His blue eyes widened and flickered behind Lin when a gentle gust of wind hit her back.

"What if we don't take him in?" a new, familiar voice asked.

Lin turned to face the newly arrived Flash. "Like I told _you_ a month ago, the rules are the rules, and I have to abide them even when I don't agree."

"But only the three of us know he's even here. And now that we know what he's really been doing, we can't afford to lock him up."

She arched an eyebrow. "And why not?"

Flash's jaw tensed. "Because he's our best shot at stopping them once and for all. Even the president himself admitted that the Red Lotus is the biggest threat to world order since the Hundred-Year War. How much of a stretch would it be to say that he'd get behind the Arrow if we tell him that he's been hunting down its members?"

Lin blinked hard, considering the possibility. "You have a point, I'll admit, but what about the press? If they find out the Arrow is hunting Red Lotus operatives here in Republic City, we'll have a mass panic on our hands, and we can't rightly admit to working with a vigilante who's technically considered a murderer."

Flash frowned deeply, eyes flickering to Oliver. "Then don't. Just let him go. Mr. Queen, are there still people on that list who are operating in Ba Sing Se?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I think so, yes."

A smile played over the speedster's lips. "Then go back. We'll make a copy of the list for our use, and while you deal with your city, we deal with ours. That way the public and the president are both happy, and you can continue your work."

"Nobody's gonna appreciate more bodies dropping," Lin remarked.

Flash's lips pursed. "But they don't have to, do they?" He leveled the Arrow with an intense look. "You managed to immobilize _Lin Beifong_ without doing permanent damage. That's no mean feat, even if you did have to use remote-controlled crossbows to get the drop on her."

Oliver's jaw dropped. "How did you—"

He shrugged. "Fastest man alive. I found the remote in your pocket when I ran onto this roof. My point is, if you're good enough to do that to _her_ , then you don't need to kill. You know how to tie evidence to the criminals you hunt, and since the Earth Kingdom's capital city is mostly stabilized by now, law and order is back in full effect."

Oliver frowned and stared at the ground. "True," he admitted. "It'll be more difficult, operating with one hand tied behind my back…but it'll be worth it." He looked back up at them. "Killing…takes a toll on you, no matter how many times you've done it."

"Then stop. Take this opportunity as a chance to reinvent yourself, from a vigilante, just a man in a green hood, to a hero. Because you can be, Oliver. You've got it in you."

The vigilante's eyes narrowed slightly, then shifted to Lin. "And does this meet your approval?"

The chief sighed heavily, glancing at Flash, who shot her a pleading look, then shifted her focus back to Oliver. "Yes. You're free to leave as soon as we've copied that list. But you _will_ be leaving."

He nodded once.

Another sigh. "Go. Head to HQ in the morning, we'll have the list copied by then. And show up in your civvies, not the muscle suit."

A small chuckle came from his throat. "Of course." His eyes shifted to the Flash, narrowing again before a small but genuine smile took over his features. "Thank you, Flash."

He smiled back, wider. "Just doin' my job."

The Arrow retrieved his bow and drew back his last arrow, firing a cable to an adjacent rooftop and anchoring it to the building they were on.

"Oh, and Oliver," Barry called.

He turned to look back at him.

"If you're gonna keep doing this, wear a mask. A proper mask."

Oliver smirked and nodded, leaping off the side and out of sight as Lin breathed an exhausted sigh.

"Allen, you're makin' me soft in my old age."

The speedster just grinned and shot her a two-fingered salute before taking off into the night.

* * *

AN: Super long chapter, I know, but I couldn't bring myself to cut the Arrow vs. Beifong fight scene down, or the following explanation. The next few chapters are a bit of semi-filler (not really) that will introduce some more villains and get the ball rolling with the resolution of an ongoing story arc. Hope you liked the Arrow storyline. You will be seeing him again, though rather infrequently, since this _is_ a Flash fic. More focus on Korra and the others to follow next chapter, so stay tuned for more updates and please review at your leisure.

P.S.: For those of you who got the reference, _Al Sa-Her_ will be taking a small role, off to the shadows, until the situation with Kuvira starts to take place…which will be a while off. It's gonna be awesome.

Musical Inspirations:

Arrow (Season 2) - Blind Spot: "You won't be bending your way out of this one"/The Arrow vs. Beifong to being pinned to a wall


	11. Enduring

Enduring (adj.): of durable quality; alternatively, holding up against constant stress or assault.

Next morning

Police HQ

7 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Welcome to Republic City, Mr. Queen."

The twenty-one-year-old shot Lin a brilliant smile and shook her hand. "Thank you, Chief. I appreciate you taking the time to see me. I realize it must be somewhat annoying to be addressing the needs of tourists, given your busy schedule." He winked.

Lin arched an eyebrow and stared at him blandly. "If it's important, I make time for it." She handed him a black notebook.

"And you copied down everything you needed?"

"I-I did," a new voice said from the side, prompting Oliver to turn and see a slightly shorter and younger man standing just six feet away.

"Mr. Queen," Lin began, "this is Barry Allen, our resident forensic scientist."

"A pleasure," the socialite intoned, shaking his hand.

"Not to pry, Chief, but did I hear you right? Mr. Queen? As in _the_ Oliver Queen?"

The man chuckled in response, as if he'd heard this routine a million times. "Yes, _the_ Oliver Queen. Don't make a big thing about it. Really." He shrugged. "I don't."

Lin looked between them. "Yes, well, if you have any further questions, Mr. Allen will be able to help you. Now if you'll excuse me—"

"Of course." They stayed silent a while as she left, Oliver's gaze drifting around the bullpen with an amused smirk on his face. "You know," he said after about a minute, "I knew a Barry once. Back when my family lived here in Republic City, we used to…sponsor foster homes for the disadvantaged youth. Visited some, on occasion. This Barry…he was about three years younger than me. Short, auburn hair, big smile. Always optimistic, despite the fact that he'd never stayed in one home longer than six months. I was always annoyed whenever we had to visit one of these places, and his home was no different."

He paused for a moment to glance at the silent CSI. "When I started trying to amuse myself by tormenting the other children, he stepped in and shoved me back. And he said something that stayed with me, though I just wasn't mature enough to appreciate it at the time. He said, 'You can be better than this, Oliver. You've got it in you.'"

Barry's audible intake of breath did not go unnoticed, if the way Oliver's smirk widened was any indication.

"I shouted him off at the time. Thought he was just a dumb kid, didn't understand what he was trying to say." Another pause. "When I was on Lian Yu, his words stuck with me, helped push me to survive, to be better. He helped save my life. So when I got off the island, five years later, I looked him up. Sure enough, he'd made something out of his life, something much more than I had. Was a little concerned when I found out he'd been attacked by a lightning bender on the night I escaped, but he was doing okay, so I left it alone. Six months later, I started reading about a red streak that was saving people…in a flash of gold lightning."

He looked directly at a slightly pale Barry, smiling. "I had my doubts until last night, but…" Oliver took a breath and released it, smiling wider. "I still believe in you, Barry."

The scientist's lips parted slightly, no words coming until he let himself smile. "Thank you."

"Good luck." Oliver shook his hand, patting the top of it with his empty one. "You're gonna need it."

Less than a minute later, the Emerald Archer was gone.

…

2 hours later

Future Industries Airfield

She, like the man currently testing Cisco's newest toy, was focused. Korra's dark blue eyes scanned over the pale features of Dr. Caitlin Snow like a sculptor inspecting a marble masterpiece. Considering how little warmth she emanated as a person, she might as well have been. Logging that away for future reference, Korra returned her attention to the newspaper sitting in her lap, eyes scanning over the top article, which referenced Kuvira's successful reunification of the various tiers of Ba Sing Se, as well as other key victories in the long road to stabilization.

A frustrated huff left her lungs. _That should be me._ A slow blink to remind herself of the incident two days earlier. Much as she hated to admit it, Tenzin and the others were right. She wasn't back to full strength yet, and she figured she wouldn't be for a long time yet. The best thing for her to do would be to train, and train hard. A loud whoop from inside the testing room got her attention as Barry ran at half-speed on a new treadmill that had been, as its designer so eloquently put it, "Ciscoed."

"Let's see how far this thing can go!" Barry shouted.

"Barry," Caitlin started, tone warning, "I don't think you should—"

A loud crash followed a second later as he surpassed the capabilities of the machine and went rocketing into a heavily padded wall. A long-suffering sigh left Caitlin's throat as she rose with her bag, entering the room with Korra in tow. She hauled him to his feet, setting him down on a nearby chair while she looked him over. All that Barry observed was a few bruises, but Caitlin nevertheless insisted on taking a closer look, poking and prodding at him in a way that was making Korra uncomfortably aggressive. When she insisted he lift his shirt, the speedster's eyebrows rocketed skyward and a mischievous smirk played over his lips.

Before Korra could find it in herself to be either embarrassed or affronted by the request, Caitlin saw his expression and matched it with a death glare that instantly shut him down. The shirt was lifted, and a cursory check revealed no lasting injuries, whereupon the doctor went to work fixing his visible injuries, her face resuming its impassive stone quality. Suddenly, she noticed Barry's eyes on her and shot him a look.

"What?"

He shrugged. "Nothing. I just notice you don't smile too much."

Caitlin's hands stopped moving as she stared directly at him. "When Future Industries was tied to the Equalists, everyone who worked here got a bad rep. Even now, my boss is still looked at by most benders with mistrust, and my career in medicine is limited to right here, because as of the Revolution, virtually every FI staffer was blacklisted. Oh, and the event that happened when you got your powers also killed my fiancé."

Both Barry and Korra's jaws dropped.

"What?" the speedster asked.

Caitlin frowned and sighed, eyes on the floor. "When the Dark Avatar touched down, he brought down several United Forces airships. Ronnie was serving as maintenance on one of them. None of the engineering crew made it out."

Barry's lips pursed as he put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like…losing someone like that. Someone you love."

Caitlin gently shrugged his hand off, taking a breath as she put away her tools. "Needless to say, this blank expression kinda feels like the way to go." Without another word, she left the room and the two heroes.

They blankly stared at each other for a few seconds before she sighed and left as well, making her way to her car when a large mecha tank caught her eye. Upon closer inspection, she saw Bolin dancing around the tank, kicking up rocks and turning them to lava as he threw them at the tank while Asami piloted from inside and tried to pin him. Cisco was standing on the sidelines, watching and taking notes while a camera rolled unattended beside him.

Korra approached the testing ground, nodding toward the tank when she sidled up to Cisco. "What are they doing?"

He gave her a glance. "The boss-lady wanted to do some hardening tests on the new tanks, see if they could hold up to hazardous circumstances as well as they need to. With all the weird benders that've been surfacing lately, it comes in handy to be prepared for anything."

Korra nodded and shifted her gaze back to Bolin, noting the smooth qualities of his movements and the way he seemed to flow around the tank like water over rocks. The lava he was casting left imprints on the tank, but overall the armor seemed to be holding up. Finally, Asami managed to pin Bolin to the ground with a pincer, but when the lavabender shifted some onto the arm's joint, the clamp fell to the ground, severed from the greater body. Cisco quickly scribbled down some notes next to a diagram of the vehicle, muttering, "That's a problem."

A minute later, Asami clambered out of the tank, pulling off her goggles and leaping to the ground, then wiping her sweaty forehead on the back of her hand. "Good job, Bo," she complimented as they walked toward the spectators, exchanging a fist-bump.

The earthbender grinned. "I aim to please. Hey, Korra!"

"'Sup, Bo?"

"Check _this_ out!" The younger man reached into his vest and yanked out a wrinkled piece of paper, obnoxiously sticking it under Korra's nose.

Gently prying it from his grasp, she held it where she could read it, eyes narrowing in focus before widening slightly in alarm as her breathing increased in rate. "It's tomorrow?

"Yep." Bolin had a smug smirk plastered to his face. "And I've actually got a date for once!"

"Good for you," she deadpanned, handing the paper back to him and marching off toward her car.

"W-Wait, Korra! You're not going?"

"Of _course_ I'm not going. Why _would_ I go?"

"Um. It's a gala…held in the Avatar's honor? Duhhh! It'd be stupid _not_ to go."

She turned to face him, hands on her hips. "Let me make something abundantly clear. I have _zero_ interest in attending a glitzy event created by and for presumptuous socialites that I neither wanted nor asked for. And even if I did, I wouldn't." Korra resumed walking to her car. "Going alone is way too awkward. Especially if there's dancing."

"But you wouldn't be alone," Bolin insisted. "I'd be there, Opal too. Probably Mako and the chief…Asami. The whole gang!"

Korra gave him a sideways look. "You _know_ that's not what I mean."

He sighed and twiddled his thumbs. "Yeah, I know. But hey, any guy there would _love_ to go with you. I guarantee it."

"Yeah, sure, any guy…except one I'd actually enjoy being around."

Another sigh. "Yeah, fair point. But you need to get out more, have a little fun."

"Big parties? Not my idea of fun."

"You don't know until you try."

Korra rolled her eyes as she mounted into her car. "I'll think about it."

"S'all I ask. Drive safe."

She nodded once, putting the vehicle in reverse and driving off toward Air Temple Island. She'd made it halfway down the mountain when a sudden breeze on her right caught her attention. Korra almost leapt clean out of her seat when she saw Barry lounging in the passenger side.

"Barry!" she shouted. "What are you doing?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

The speedster chuckled. "Just wanted to tell you that Bolin's right."

Korra snorted. "He usually is."

"I meant about the ball."

Her face fell. "No."

"Come on, it'll be good for you."

"No."

"Not even if I find you a date?"

A moment's hesitation. "No."

"You hesitated, that means yes."

"I said no. That means no."

"But your hesitation at least means you'd consider it."

Korra rolled her eyes as she turned onto a thoroughfare. "In the same way I might consider getting food poisoning to get out of going."

He groaned in exasperation. "Come _on_ , Korra. It's not healthy to lock yourself in that tower night after night, only spending time at the airfield or the island or out eating. Socializing, Korra. Human interaction. It's important."

She stayed silent.

"Please? I promise I can make it worth your while."

"I sincerely doubt that." A sigh. "You don't get it. I've _never_ felt comfortable in places where you have to dress up, put on a pretty face and smile for everyone. It just feels so…fake."

"Well, if you agree, I will make sure that those smiles are one-hundred percent genuine."

Korra gave him a long look when they came to a stop. "How?"

He smirked. "You let me worry about that."

"I'm gonna need a little more specifics than that if I'm potentially committing social suicide."

Barry chuckled. "Trust me, you won't."

"At least tell me who you've got planned as my date."

A deep red filled his cheeks as he laughed nervously. "Well uh…to be honest, I was thinking…me."

Korra blinked hard.

"Purely platonic, mind you," he was quick to add. "I'll just be your escort for the night, nothin' special." Barry managed a smirk. "Pest repellent, if you will."

That actually got a smile out of her, even if her heart was hammering and nerves were on edge.

"So what do you say?"

Korra looked back up at him, searching his light blue eyes for several seconds and finding only earnest generosity. This offer was exactly what he said it was: an opportunity to get out into the public eye without having to worry about walking on eggshells. It was also, quite by accident (or perhaps design) an opportunity for her to make a complete fool of herself, considering she'd be on Barry's arm (or he on hers) and since her last panic attack she'd barely considered her feelings on the matter.

He seemed to understand her dilemma. "You don't have to decide now. I'll be around later tonight. Our usual time?"

Korra cocked her head, a little confused.

"Ten o'clock?"

"Oh." A small, nervous laugh bubbled out of her throat.

Since he'd become the Flash, there had been no late-night meetings, especially since they seemed to run into each other every other day at this point, for one reason or another. A brief thought occurred to her, that he'd taken her decision (or the lack thereof) in the hospital to mean those were now off-limits.

"I gotta go to work anyway," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "See ya later tonight."

Before she could say anything, he was gone. An exasperated sigh left her throat as she leaned against the steering wheel, lost in her thoughts and the endless tangle of streets.

…

10 minutes later

Republic City, Financial District

"So what's the story, Chief?"

"Our perp. is a waterbender." Lin nodded in the direction of a shattered wall. "Entered here, knocked out the guards manning the vault, and then made off with five hundred thousand yuans."

Mako spat out his coffee. "500K?!"

"You mean they had it all in one location?" Barry tacked on.

"I'm more concerned with how one guy managed to carry it all. And why wouldn't they?"

Lin turned to the detective. "To discourage theft, the president passed a policy that amounts above two hundred thousand yuans are to be kept in the treasury rather than bank branches. The 500K that was here was supposed to be mid-transfer around now."

"That's how he got it moving," Barry concluded. "It was already on the truck, wasn't it?"

Beifong nodded. "Problem is, the truck was ditched just a few blocks away and there's no sign of the perp."

As Barry crouched in front of the wall, picking up a chunk of stone and feeling it cold to the touch, Mako said, "Any idea who he is? Somebody must have gotten a good look at him. Too many people around to be otherwise."

One of the nearby beat cops strode up to them, notepad in hand. "Witnesses describe a tall man, crew-cut hair, with goggles and a blue hooded coat."

Mako shot him a look. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, sir."

"Chief, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

A distinctive snarl came from her throat in response. "Leonard Snart."

Barry looked over at her. "Seriously? Leonard? That's almost as bad as Bartholomew."

Lin shot him a look. "Snart isn't exactly the savory type either. His father was a cop." She snarled. "A crooked cop. Took his anger out on his kids…until he went to prison."

The CSI turned back to the chunks of the wall, bagging one. "Looks like the wall was frozen before being hit with a heavy object, probably that sledgehammer." He motioned to the object in question, just seven feet inside the makeshift entrance. His auburn eyebrows furrowed as he took a closer look at the ground around the opening. "It's strange," Barry remarked, "the pattern of the breakage suggests at least six square feet of water on the surface alone, but there's barely any water here. Most of the concrete isn't even damp, so what did he use to freeze the wall?"

"Beats me," Mako replied, crouching next to him. "Though I guess he could've just waterbent whatever it was back into a container."

Barry nodded slowly, standing a moment later. "Either way, we're not gonna learn anything more from here. Take me to the truck."

A few minutes of walking brought him to the site, where a cursory look gave him at least three clues that hadn't been mentioned before, namely tire treads, burnt rubber, and…traces of it leaving the scene. Beifong and Mako followed closely, watching as the CSI inches his way across the pavement to a manhole cover.

"Well," Mako choked out, covering his face with his arm once the cover was lifted, "not likely we're gonna find any traces of him in there. And since it's been ten minutes from the time of the robbery, the trail, even if there is one, is probably cold by now."

"Or you're just trying to weasel your way out of slogging through sewers," Lin countered.

"No, he's right," Barry said. "The chances of finding any viable evidence decrease the moment you enter a sewer. Considering all the chemicals that run through the water, not to mention fecal pollution, most foreign matter gets decomposed or washed away in a matter of minutes."

"Really?" Mako asked, clearing his throat when Lin shot him a look. "I mean, uh…yeah, really."

The chief snorted once, crossing her arms before nodding at the cover, the two attending cops sliding it back into place.

"So what's the plan to catch this guy?"

"Same as always. Work the evidence, run down any known associates, anyone who'd be willing to harbor him after a job. Teammates, fences, you name it. Detective, I want you on canvas duty. Find every outlet within a two-mile radius of that tunnel and have the beats take it a section at a time."

"Yes, Chief."

"What about me?" Barry asked as Mako walked off.

She sighed. "Considering the profound lack of evidence, and the way he expertly executed this job, your part's finished here." Lin leaned closer and spoke in a low voice. "At least officially. Unofficially, I want you to get in those tunnels and check the outlets yourself, see if there's anything we can use to track Snart. If we get hit like this again, he could cause a major economic imbalance, not to mention mass panic if people don't think they can invest their money without fear of being robbed."

Barry nodded and pursed his lips. "I'll see what I can find."

The CSI disappeared into an alleyway a few moments before a red streak shot back out, entering the sewers by the time half the cops turned in its direction. It zipped through one tunnel after the next, searching every grate, niche, and access door until he found one already open. He was out in barely two seconds, an empty street his only reward. A frustrated huff left his throat as his eyes searched listlessly…until they found more traces of burnt rubber. It was a different type, but still fresh, within the last few minutes. And as he looked in the direction it had fallen, he found more.

A confident smirk made its way onto the Flash's face as he ran toward the next sample, finding another not far after that, and another a second later. The trail led him several dozen blocks, by the end of which he could hear the screeching of tires. The Flash rounded a corner to see another armored car pulled over on the side of the road, three bikes scattered around it, their drivers all in black save one, the two guards on their knees, hands up as two firebenders stood watch. A massive tow truck stood by facing away from the armored car, its hook linked to the back, one masked thug hanging on its driver-side door.

Flash sped toward the crash from the tow truck's front, moving toward its driver side and swiping the man there onto the pavement with a firm palm heel to the chest. His legs carried him toward the second thug, closing the distance before he could turn halfway and launching him backward with a leaping uppercut. He made a split-second u-turn, tossing the third thug over a bike and away from the guard he was threatening, then heading for the open door of the armored car. He ran inside, yanking the blue-clad thief from the back and dumping him unceremoniously on the pavement as he put distance between them.

When he turned about for a second run, he saw the driver of the tow truck throw something at one of the guards who tried to run, the man falling over a second later, shoulder bleeding. Flash sprinted over to his writhing body, head rising to see Snart and his crew taking off on the bikes, a heavy bag slung over the blue-clad thief's shoulder. Torn between two choices, his decision was made when he saw the placement of the knife in the guard's shoulder. He put a hand to his earpiece.

"Caitlin, where's the nearest hospital?"

"Aang Memorial," she replied in a tense tone, "just north of you."

"Radio their trauma center, let 'em know they've got an incoming knife wound, critical bleeding."

"Got it."

Barry picked the guard up and slung him over his shoulder, legs blurring into action as he flew toward the hospital, skidding to a stop just outside an operating room a minute later. "Doctor!" he shouted, vocal cords vibrating. "I need a doctor here!"

A harried-looking woman in blue scrubs rushed toward the Scarlet Speedster, motioning two nurses to take the man off his hands. A cursory inspection of the injury sent her face paling as she nodded them into the operating room.

"He's lucky you found him when you did," she said. "The blade nicked a major artery. A few more minutes and he would've bled out."

The Flash nodded. "Just doing my part. Keep up the good work."

She smiled and nodded before he sped out of the ER and back to the scene of the crime, managing to follow another burnt rubber trail for four blocks before it split off into three directions, then vanished, none of the bikes in sight. A sigh left his throat as he shook his head and tapped his ear again. "Chief, it's me. Snart's gone."

"Roger that," she answered in a low tone. "Head back to HQ. We might have something else."

"Got it."

…

30 minutes later

Undisclosed location

"When I was a kid, my grandfather used to take my sister and me to this diner, the Motor Car. Food was for crap, but the view…was great. Right across from the Republic City Precinct. I still go there. I listen to their radios, I learn their response times. There are forty banks in this city, each of them within sixty seconds of police response. That's the advantage of hitting a moving target. Once the armored car called for backup, we had one-hundred _eighty-two_ seconds before any cop could be on the scene. No one could've gotten there fast enough to stop us…but something did."

The cold eyes of Leonard Snart narrowed as he looked up at one of his men with a critical gaze. "And you lost your cool. You know the rules. We don't shoot, stab, or otherwise maim cops or guards unless it's the only option. We don't need the heat."

"The heat?" The man in front of him snorted and gave him a sardonic smirk. "What the hell do you think the Flash is, Snart?"

A tense silence dragged on for a few seconds as they stared each other down.

"Right," the thug sighed. "Screw this, screw you. I'm out."

The moment he started to turn, a long shard of ice went through his heart, and he sputtered incoherently several times before collapsing to the ground, dead.

Snart just sighed. "Well if you're out, you're out." He looked down at a newspaper, the photo on its cover showing a single blur rushing toward a burning building. "This…Flash is a man..." His eyes narrowed. "We're gonna have to up our game."

…

2 hours later

Police HQ

"Detective, why don't you fill him in?"

"I put some feelers out with some of my old Triple Threat contacts, to see if he contacted any of them about potential jobs, fences, anything like that, and I got a name. Kahndaq Diamond."

Barry's eyebrows shot up. "Who would name their kid Kahndaq?"

"Who would name their kid Bartholomew?" Mako countered, smirking at the deadpan look Barry shot him. "And Kahndaq is the name of an ancient Earth Kingdom dynasty. The Kahndaq Diamond is a priceless gem whose worth is in the multi-millions. If he can get his hands on it and find the right fence, not only will he disappear with one of the world's greatest cultural treasures, but become one of the richest men this side of Ba Sing Se overnight."

"Which…would be a bad thing."

"Think of it this way," Beifong inserted, "the diamond represents one of this region's most treasured artifacts, so much so that the president himself has ordered round-the-clock surveillance to make sure it isn't so much as damaged. How do you think he and the public will react if it gets snatched?"

"Well, if it's under constant guard, what are the chances of that?"

Lin and Mako exchanged a look, the latter speaking up. "There's the rub. The gem is set to be moved tomorrow night, and for Snart—"

"A moving target is a vulnerable target," he finished. "So what do you need me for?"

"You're good at finding patterns," Lin said, pulling a rolled up map from a nearby case and unfurling it on his desk. She also slapped down a dozen police files, all from previous Snart heists. "See if you can find one to these: known Snart safehouses. With any luck, you'll be able to track him to at least one that he's visited recently. Maybe he'll have left something behind. One thing we know for sure is that Snart is incredibly meticulous. Plans out every inch of a job before he even lifts a finger, which means that if he's using any one of these places, there'll be information about the diamond there. Maps, photos, likely transportation routes, everything he'll need to pull off this heist."

Barry nodded repeatedly. "Okay…okay, I think I can work with this. Give me an hour."

"An hour?" Mako asked in disbelief. "There are over two dozen locations here, what makes you think you can find a pattern in that little time?"

The CSI just smirked and winked.

The firebender rolled his eyes. "Nerd."

"Uptight jerk."

"Cut it, you two. I want those results on my desk in an hour, Allen, even if they aren't conclusive."

He nodded. "Yes, Chief. Now scram, both of you." He cracked his knuckles. "I need my space."

Mako smirked and rolled his eyes, marching off with the chief and leaving Barry alone in his lab. The scientist gave it a few more seconds before speeding off to get his suit on, then going for the roof and out the building, the map of locations in his hand as he sped over to Future Industries.

…

40 minutes later

Warehouse, Industrial District

"You asked for state-of-the-art? I give you state of the art, my friend."

Snart strode over to a box, pulling it open and peering inside.

"You've certainly got an eye for quality, sir. That one is filled with a condensed, high-burning accelerant, with a built-in sparker that allows it to ignite on contact with the air."

"I don't need to heat things up, I need to slow them down. Preferably with something that can actually work with my bending rather than inhibit it." He closed the box and strode over to another one, lifting its lid to see a gray-plated device inside.

"That's the one you're looking for then. You were drawn right to it. Stolen from Future Industries, that gun is a compressed water weapon designed for riot control, I believe. I made a few modifications to increase the liquid's pressure and allow for better range and force of output, so you'll be able to hit a target far faster than with ordinary waterbending. And with your ice specialties, well…you'll now be able to freeze whatever you please at virtually any range."

Snart picked up the gun and held it aloft, looking down into the box to see a set of blue-plated goggles. "Glasses look like they're made of the same tech."

"They're for the glare. You'll see when you icebend it."

Snart donned the goggles and pointed the gun skyward. "And who else knows about this?"

"Just us."

"No…just me." He sighed. "Sorry, pal."

The thief pivoted fast, firing directly at the supplier and channeling his icebending with barely a twitch of his finger, freezing the water on contact with his body until the man was completely incased in ice.

"He was right," he said to himself once the deed was done. "There _is_ one hell of a glare."

…

20 minutes later

Police HQ

"I think I've got him!"

Lin and Mako turned at Barry's excited voice.

"I cross-referenced the approximate vectors of escape from the last six Snart heists, and they all indicate movement toward this location, a warehouse in the southern section of the Industrial District." He slapped the map of known hideouts on Lin's desk, pointing to a single red dot that had been circled several times.

Lin stared at the map and the various lines drawn in blue pen for a moment before nodding. "Good work, Allen. I'll get a team ready. Mako, rally the troops, and remember, Snart is a career criminal. He's been in this game longer than you, which means our best chance of catching him is in numbers and distraction."

"Roger, ma'am."

The firebender went off to gather a few more cops together as Lin marched past Barry, the CSI following.

"I want you on the perimeter," she said in a low tone. "If he gets past us, unlikely as that is, we need to have someone who can stop him from any angle."

Barry nodded and left for his lab, changing into his Flash suit and speeding out of the precinct to scout the location once more, establishing a perimeter within two minutes of arriving. Peering through a window, he spotted a blue-clad figure leaning over a schematic of some sort. Flash put a hand to his ear. "I've got Snart. Looks like he's going over the final details of the heist."

"Roger that," Lin answered. "Keep your distance. We don't want him bolting before we can get in position."

"Got it."

The next two minutes went by at a crawl, Barry's boredom increasing to dangerous levels within no time at all. When he contemplated just going in there and punching Snart unconscious, he saw the first police van start to arrive, four metalbending cops leaping out of the back as Mako left the driver's seat and Lin the passenger side. Two cops formed up on each entrance, Lin taking the front with Mako as the other metalbenders flanked the other exits. The Flash watched from one of the warehouse's windows, perched in a crouch and waiting with held breath. The moment they breached, he knew something was wrong. Lin was hardly quiet about it, and neither were her other cops, yet Snart barely glanced in their direction, not a lick of tension in his frame.

"Down on the ground!" he heard Lin yell, cables ready to go, Mako already holding a flame suspended above his hand. "Do it _now_ , Snart!"

Even at this distance, Barry could hear the criminal's low chuckle as he slowly pulled his hood up, a deep breath raising his shoulders a second before he whipped his body around and pulled something from inside his coat. Barry saw the high-powered jet of water heading for Mako a second before he moved, speeding into the warehouse and running for the detective, shoving him to the side when the jet hit him hard, knocking him back behind a stack of crates. An agonized yell left his lungs as he bit down the pain.

"You okay?!" Mako shouted.

"It burns!" Flash hissed back, vibrating his vocal cords. "Don't let that thing hit you!"

The detective nodded as he popped out of cover to fire several fireballs in Snart's direction, a wide sweep with his weapon neutralizing them as ice formed wherever the beam hit.

"What _is_ that thing?!" one of the metalbenders shouted.

"I don't know," Lin replied, "but we need to separate him from it _now_."

"Good luck," Snart taunted, smirking when his gaze locked onto the Flash, ignoring all the cops. "Time for a test run. Let's see how fast you _really_ are."

When a metalbender shot a cable in Snart's direction, he ducked and countered with a high-velocity shot aimed at his torso. A red blur pulled him out of the way, its source zooming back and forth despite pain as the criminal kept taking shots at the attacking cops. In a split-second breather period, he wondered how this man wasn't running out of water yet, his answer coming when he sprinted for Mako once again, tackling him out of the way of a shot and speeding up his perception while staring at the incoming beam.

The water stream was barely an inch thick, white due to the microbubbles caused by such rapid movement, and after a section of it impacted a target, the radius of the impact point expanded by a rate of a foot per second until Snart stopped firing. Whatever wasn't used to freeze the target was then returned to the gun, likely through extremely precise waterbending. The entire process took less than a second to complete, and though he was no fan of the criminal, he had a grudging admiration for the man's extreme coordination.

When he put Mako down behind cover, the Flash took a moment to breathe, glancing over a crate to see Snart exchanging fire with two cops at once, using his icebending to weigh down an indoor crane's load and snap the chain supporting it. The heavy crate dropped toward two metalbenders, pinning them to the ground as he moved onto the next target. Lin sprinted for him only to recoil and yell when her arm was hit and encased in ice, Mako firing another couple shots to provide cover for a metalbender who was sneaking behind Snart for a sneak attack. The moment one of his cables was fired, Snart whirled toward him, spinning his body and dodging the strike while getting a bead on the attacker.

Pushing past the intense frostbite, the Flash fell into a dead sprint, running past Snart as the gun fired, the beam moving alongside him with deadly intent. His hand was barely a foot from the cop when his armored figure was slammed back, ice encasing the entirety of his body in seconds and freezing him solid.

"No!"

Barry glanced back at Snart to see him frown in concentration, then turn toward the remaining cops and blast an ice wall between him and them, making for the exit. _Pursue,_ said a voice in his head, but all he could do was stare at the frozen, lifeless eyes of the man below his crouched form. _I wasn't fast enough._ Flash looked back as the ice wall shattered, Lin and Mako stepping through, searching for an absent Snart before the former looked in his direction. He just shook his head, jaw clenched. Lin nodded grimly, upper lip twitching before she punched through a brick wall with a roar, shoulders heaving.

All present shared her sentiments.

…

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

Caitlin stared at Barry with sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry, Barry. You did your best."

"My best wasn't good enough," he snarled. "And a man died because I couldn't reach him in time." His head shook rapidly. "How did Snart even get his hands on that kind of tech?"

Asami's expression was grim as she slowly turned toward Cisco, who was staring at the ground sullenly. "You want to explain or should I?"

The dark-skinned man gulped. "I made it."

Barry blinked hard. "What?"

He gulped again, meeting his eyes. "I made the gun. It was designed to be used by riot cops, for crowd control. I don't know how he got his hands on it, but Snart must've made some modifications, because it was _not_ supposed to be anywhere near as lethal as that thing was."

The speedster snorted. "And you didn't notice it missing until now?"

"Not until after the mecha test this morning."

Barry shook his head slowly. "I just…I can't believe this. A month ago, I was fast enough to stop a _tsunami_ , and now…now I can't even outrun a water gun."

"It's a really tricked-out water gun, if that helps."

"It _really_ doesn't." He stayed silent another moment. "We need to stop him. Whatever it takes."

"Agreed," Asami replied with a nod, "but for now we just need to let our heads cool. We've got no leads to track Snart with, which means for now, we'll have to play defense. Go home, Bear. We'll let you know if we learn anything else."

He nodded slowly and rose from his seat, hissing as the bandages against his frost-bitten abdomen pressed against his skin.

Cisco approached him carefully. "I'm sorry."

Barry sighed and managed a reassuring smile. "It's not your fault. The gun itself isn't the problem. It's the man behind it."

Cisco nodded, stepping back to his station as the speedster left. Barry bumped into something when he reached the bottom of the stairs—or rather, some _one_.

"Oh…hey Korra."

"Barry…you're actually _exactly_ the person I wanted to see."

He noticed she didn't look particularly happy about that fact, but not unhappy either, more…tense. "About?"

"Um…" She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "Your offer, this morning. I wanted to know if it still stands."

The younger man inhaled sharply as he blinked hard, mouth opening slightly before turning upward, his previous gloom starting to lift. "Of course. Though I might have to borrow one of Mako's suits."

"Pssht, don't worry about that. Bolin's got you covered."

Auburn eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "He got your size from Mako, ordered it earlier this week." A snort. "Little runt expected this to happen."

Barry chuckled. "I can't say I'm surprised. He _does_ have quite the intuition."

"Too true," she sighed.

Korra and Barry stared at each other for a few moments before the latter spoke. "So I'm guessing that's a yes."

She laughed. "Uh, yeah, that's a yes."

He outright grinned. "All right then. I uh…better get some sleep. Got a long day tomorrow."

Korra groaned as she followed him out. "More like long _night_. Still can't believe I let you rope me into this ridiculous party."

"It's a _ball_ ," he drawled. "Much more sophisticated."

"So it's a _sophisticated_ party," she mocked, smirking wryly.

Barry just shook his head and kept smiling. "Fair enough. So, the event is black tie, as expected, and we should arrive around ten minutes early just to be on the safe—"

"Barry," she interrupted gently. "Calm down. Seriously. I can barely understand you when you talk that fast."

He blinked several times. "Whoa. Didn't even realize…I can do that?" An ear-to-ear grin spread over his features. "Oh, I am _so_ using that on Mako one of these days."

"Careful not to spill your secret," Korra warned. "That is, unless you've told him already.

Barry frowned and shook his head. "I will. But not yet."

"Tell me something, Bear. What's holding you back?"

He turned to face her as she put one foot on the step of her car's driver-side entry. "I could ask you the same."

Korra's expression darkened.

"But I won't," he added a second later, "because it's a personal choice on a personal matter, and I have no right to demand answers."

"Barry, I didn't mean—"

"I know," he sighed, chewing his lower lip. "Don't mind me. I just had a _really_ rough day."

Barry looked sullenly off into the distance until he felt a pair of slender arms wrapping around his midsection, his chest pressed against a smaller figure. Slowly, he responded in kind, holding her close and hanging onto the gentle comfort of her embrace. The frustrated fire in his heart was replaced by a fierce ache. This felt so much more than good. It felt _right_. Honestly, Barry didn't know how much more he could take, or what he would do if she decided once and for all that there could be nothing more between them. If she made that decision…he wasn't gonna lie. It'd hurt. A lot. But he would endure it. He would endure it for her sake.

Because if she finally said no, he wouldn't have the strength or will to try and change her mind.

* * *

AN: Not much to say on this chapter except that the next one will feature the "sophisticated party" and the end of Leonard Snart's origin. I tried to make his ice attacks as realistic to the Korra world as I could. Hope you like how I integrated it all.

Stay tuned for more, coming soon.

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Captain Cold: start-0:55—Snart consults his team, 0:55-end—confrontation at the warehouse/not fast enough


	12. Collapsing

Collapsing (adj.): in the process of falling apart; alternatively, giving into overwhelming pressure.

2 hours later

Republic City, Residential District

7 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Careful."

"I know."

"Careful."

"I _know_."

"Just a little more—"

 _Zap!_

"Gah!" Barry threw down a pair of tweezers and gave his roommate an accusing look. "You see? I _told_ you nagging would just spaz me out!"

Mako just snickered and held a hand over his eyes. "Which is why it's so fun to watch."

"This game is rigged," Barry pouted, arms crossed.

"Or maybe," Mako started with a grin, leaning down to carefully pull an object from a u-shaped gap in a board and lay it on the table, "this is something you're just not good at."

"Impossible," he deadpanned jokingly.

"Besides, how can someone rig a board game?"

"I dunno, but Asami's kind of a super genius, so I wouldn't put it past her."

Mako chuckled. "Fair enough." His smile flattened a little. "So are you nervous?"

"About what?" he asked distractedly, lowering his tweezers to the board again.

"About tomorrow?"

"Huh?"

"You know…the _gala_."

 _Zap!_

Barry gave Mako a glare, to which the firebender held up his hands and grinned. "My bad. You can have a redo of that one."

The younger man sighed as he tossed down his tweezers. "It's fine. Just a party, right?"

"Right. Except a little birdie told me that you're going with the Avatar."

Barry arched an eyebrow. "Bolin?"

Mako nodded once. "A little birdie also told me that might be a bit complicated for…emotional reasons. On _both_ your parts."

He froze, giving Mako a long look. "I'm guessing we're talking about a different birdie?" he asked, attempting to inject some levity into a suddenly uncomfortable conversation.

The detective just smirked. "Nope."

Barry stared at him openmouthed. "Is it that obvious?"

He chuckled. "To everyone but you and her, evidently." Another bubble of laughter. "You know, I've only seen you around each other for a week, and I could already see the signs. Bolin's just more sensitive to this kind of stuff. He picked it up in around two seconds flat during that lunch we had yesterday."

Barry snorted and stared at the ground blankly for a few seconds before something occurred to him. "Wait…on _both_ our parts? Meaning—"

"Meaning he noticed you were on edge around each other, more on her part than yours though."

"Oh," he muttered, deflating.

They were silent a while.

"Barry, you remember what I told you when I first found out you knew each other?"

He just looked at him.

"Be gentle. I still hold to that. Strong as she is…her heart's a delicate thing. It's the one part of her that can be hurt easily."

Barry nodded slowly.

Mako sighed. "Apart from that, I hope you're a good dancer, because I doubt she'll slow down for your sake."

"Huh?"

A chuckle came from the firebender's throat. "Korra's natural talent for bending forms gives her incredible coordination. That carries over into dancing." At Barry's sudden tension, he smirked. "So just take care not to get stepped on. Or steamrolled over. She gets really into it."

Barry managed a snicker. "Good to know." Another long silence passed. "Anyway, I'm kinda beat."

"More like whipped," Mako muttered under his breath.

The CSI arched an eyebrow. "What was that?"

He grinned innocently. "Oh, nothing. Good night, Bear."

Barry eyed him suspiciously but said nothing as he walked into his room and passed out seconds later.

…

Next day

4:30 PM

Air Temple Island

"Breathe, Korra."

"Don't _start_ with me, Asami." Despite her petulant response, Korra followed the advice and took a deep breath that was intended to calm but only served to make her slightly lightheaded. "The sash is a little loose, don't you think?"

Asami suppressed a chuckle. "It's fine. Trust me, you're gonna be a knockout."

"I'm not _trying_ to be."

"Oh really?" she asked in a teasing tone. "Sure there's not _someone_ you're trying to impress?"

Korra let out a long, drawn-out groan.

"Honestly, Korra," Asami laughed. "You're too easy."

A firm glare was leveled in the woman's direction.

Asami just shrugged, not fazed in the least as she finished her own preparations, putting in a pair of diamond drop earrings and a light layer of red eye-liner that offset her eyes. "Trust me, I'm gonna be the least of your problems tonight."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm gonna have to deal with socialites, industrialists, politicians and all manner of eww tonight."

"I hope you're not including your date in that last bit."

"No," she answered flatly. "And he's not my date. Just my escort. And, when need be, a distraction."

"Ouch. Wonder how he'd feel if he heard you call him that."

"Hey, his words, not mine. Though the exact phrase he used was 'pest repellent.'"

Asami chuckled. "That sounds like Barry."

A series of rapid knocks resounded against Korra's door.

"As does that."

With one more glance in the mirror to make sure everything was in place, Korra took a deep breath and rose from her seat, catching Asami's reassuring smile in the corner of her eye as her hand closed around the knob. The moment it opened, she was greeted to a sight that sent her brows shooting upward and jaw dropping a bit. Back turned for less than a second, Barry faced her with a close-mouthed smile, clad in a pressed black tux, his auburn hair slightly shined and shoes glossed to perfection. After a few seconds of uninterrupted silence, Asami interrupted.

"Well, hello Barry Allen. You sure clean up well."

"Thanks, Asami." He held out his arm to Korra. "Shall we?"

Feeling heat creep up her cheeks, Korra blinked a few times and looped her arm through his, following him down the stairs to her car. When she made for the driver's seat, he gently nudged her away and into the passenger side, climbing behind the wheel with rather uncharacteristic nerves. Korra's ocean blue eyes narrowed.

"You've never driven before, have you?"

He chuckled. "Not with a passenger, no."

"Why do I suddenly feel tight-chested?"

"Relax. You really I'd let anything happen to you? Even if we _do_ crash—which we won't—I'll take care of you. You know that."

Korra sighed. "I'm more worried about the car than me. Not like I have the cash to afford another one."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, my reaction time in a car is just as fast as when I'm on foot."

"As a matter of fact…it does."

He smirked. "Good."

Korra was silent a long while, taking a moment to breathe in the cool sea air as they drove across the recently raised earth bridge. Not surprisingly, after closing her eyes and taking a few breaths, the Avatar felt her nerves easing, a cool serenity settling into her bones. What felt like seconds later, she was being gently shaken awake. A sharp breath entered her lungs as her eyes snapped wide open, filled with Barry's face just six inches from hers. A series of rapid blinks preceded a knee-jerk reaction that sent her escort flying out of the car on a gust of air.

A loud yelp left the CSI when he hit the ground, Korra's eyes flying wide open as she scrambled to get out of the car, nearly planting herself on the ground when her foot caught on the door.

"Barry?! Barry, I'm so sorry!" Korra rounded the front of the car to see his immobile form, mouth lolled open, eyes closed. She approached him carefully, chest tightening as she crouched. "Barry?"

His eyes snapped open suddenly, causing her to jump as a grin spread over his features. "Gotcha."

Korra huffed and smacked his shoulder. "Jerk."

He just chuckled and got to his feet as she did the same. "Come on. You gotta loosen up, or tonight's gonna be miserable."

"It's gonna be miserable anyway." Korra followed him closely, allowing him to lead her toward the City Hall, banners of her hung in front of the doors. "I've already accepted that."

"Don't. Tonight's gonna be _great_. Just wait." He gave her a long look and a reassuring smile as they stopped in front of the entrance, a few scattered guests still flowing inside. "You trust me, right?" He extended his arm.

A deep breath entered her lungs as she took him in, smiling and tall and firm, like an anchor. _Because he is. Always has been._ And with a smile coming to her face, Korra took his arm and followed him inside, without a moment's hesitation. As the massive doors opened, she felt completely untouchable.

…

Barry had to admit, Korra was taking it all surprisingly well, even had a small smile on her lips as they entered the large space, every other step occupied by one well-dressed guest after another. He spotted Bolin and Mako from across the room, the former giving them an enthusiastic wave, a pastry—or several—stuffed in his mouth. Barry let out a small chuckle as he returned the wave and made his way toward them.

"Avatar Korra," a familiar voice said from the side.

Evidently, Korra recognized it too, because she sighed and schooled her features into something far more pleasant than she was probably feeling. "President Raiko. A pleasure to see you again." She stuck her hand out politely.

He shook it once. "Likewise…though I am rather surprised you attended, since you've managed to stay out of the public eye for the last seven months." Was Barry just imagining it, or was there a note of accusation to his tone?

Korra arched an eyebrow and smirked, a dangerous glint in her eye. "And miss out on my own party? Not a chance."

Raiko cleared his throat. "Yes, well…I'm sure the public will appreciate seeing more of you. That is, of course, if you'll be resuming your Avatar duties anytime soon."

Barry heard the unspoken bait in that statement, noticing more than a few passersby halting in their tracks and eavesdropping not-so-subtly. _Probably journalists. Bloodsucking leeches._

Korra noticed, the glint in her eye only intensifying. "If I do, trust me—" she leaned in closer and lowered her voice, "—you'll know."

And with that, she pulled Barry away from the president and through the crowd, snatching an hors d'oeuvre from a passing waiter and popping it into her mouth, chin held high. The sight of her practically strutting across the ballroom sent a snicker bubbling up his throat.

"What?" she asked curiously.

Barry shook his head. "Nothing. Just enjoying the show."

Korra rolled her eyes, grinning. "I don't particularly like him. In case you didn't notice."

"I did, actually. And I'm a little surprised at how outspoken you've been so far. Considering the circumstances—"

"Considering that I _really_ don't want to be here, I'm going to do my best to have fun, and to hell with people and their agendas. After all, tonight is for me, right?"

Barry smiled and nodded, his arm tightening around hers. "Right."

"Korra, Bear!" Bolin greeted noisily, enveloping them both in a massive bear hug as he lifted them off the ground. "You made it!"

"Well, someone made a very good case," Korra said, sending Barry a pointed look.

"Who, me? Pssht, I wouldn't miss _this_ for the world." He sent her a similar look, a sly grin coming to his face. "I mean, really, how often do any of us get to see the Avatar in her natural element, stepping on insects and snarking people to death?"

"Just wait, Barry," Bolin laughed. "She breathes fire, too."

Mako shook his head at his brother's description, but, as Barry noticed, didn't disagree. "Hang around us much longer, and you'll get used to it."

"Not sure I want to," Barry admitted. "Though…tell me, you've known her for around two years now, yeah?"

The brothers nodded.

"Is it still funny when she gets like that?"

Bolin nodded enthusiastically.

Barry grinned. "Then I still wouldn't miss it."

"So _this_ is where the party's at."

The four turned at the new voice, Barry's eyes widening slightly as Asami strode toward them with Cisco and Caitlin in tow. He caught the young woman's eye and gave Mako a slight nod. She returned a reassuring wave, smiling at the firebender.

"Mako, I don't believe you've been introduced. Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon. They're two specialists from Future Industries' R&D division. I invited them along tonight."

"Pleasure to meet you two," Mako said, smiling as he shook each of their hands.

"Likewise, man," Cisco replied, grinning in his typical manner. "We've heard tons from the boss-woman."

The firebender arched an eyebrow and shot Asami a look. "Really? Like what?"

"Like how much you like to pry," the tycoon replied with a smirk.

Decked out in a floor-pooling black dress with a low-cut neckline and slitted sleeves, it was hard not to stare at Asami, though, Barry realized with a glance around the room, that was probably the point. The uncommonly gorgeous woman was gaining quite a few stares from the room's occupants, both envious and desiring. He knew without a second thought that getting a date was the last thing on her mind. Like him, she was serving as a distraction. The more people focused on her, the less they could bother Korra.

Asami caught Barry's knowing smirk and looked at him as he gave her a conspiratorial wink, a smirk of her own blossoming as she asked Bolin about his recent endeavors. Barry took the group's moment of distraction to really look at Korra. Surprisingly, she didn't look all that different from her usual state of dress, save for a long skirt instead of her usual pants and the back of her hair put up in a covered top-knot. It looked like…her. It surprised him how much that detail made a difference in what he felt when he looked at her.

A month ago, she'd been dressed up to go out in a multicolored frock and asked him his opinion on her state of dress. To be honest, he hadn't had one, so defaulted to a rather bland but acceptable answer. The reason, as he now knew, was because he hadn't seen the dress as something she would wear…at least, not for her. But this…this was all Korra, and that made it perfect. Evidently, she noticed him staring before he could look away and blushed slightly as she cleared her throat and arched an eyebrow.

"See something you like?"

The question so completely caught him off-guard, Barry was stunned into silence for several seconds, forcing himself to ignore Asami and Mako's knowing sighs and Bolin's poorly suppressed giggles. Instead, he just said something stupid.

"Care for a dance?"

Immediately, Korra's eyes lit up and several gasps came from their present company as Barry internally groaned. In response, the Avatar pulled on his arm and half-dragged him onto the dance floor.

…

Asami sighed and shook her head with a smug smirk, arms crossed as she turned back to the others. "Anyway, we're gonna float around for a bit, see if the menu's up to par. Cisco, Cate."

Her two employees nodded and said their goodbyes to the pro-bending brothers, following Asami to a less populated section of the room.

"Is everything in place?"

"Yep," Cisco responded, pulling a small device from his jacket pocket. "Got this earpiece linked into the police band. If anything comes up tonight, we'll know about it."

Asami nodded. "Good." She looked back toward Barry and Korra, the former somehow managing to stay on his feet as Korra practically yanked him in circles across the dance floor. A small frown came to her face. "Much as I'd hate to interrupt this…Snart is still out there, and given what happened the last time the police tried to apprehend him, Barry may be the only one who stands a chance of stopping him." A moment of silence. "Cate, you have everything you need as far as medical supplies are concerned?"

She nodded. "Out in the van. Just to be clear…we _are_ allowed to actually, you know, enjoy the party…right?"

Asami chuckled. "Of course. I'm well aware that all work and no play makes for some very unhappy employees—and employ _ers_ , I might add. Tonight is for all of us to just take a moment and relax. Just…be ready to get to work if the need arises."

Caitlin actually smiled and nodded. "Right."

Ten minutes later found Asami deftly floating away from two potential suitors and toward a table littered with glasses of champagne. Unable to help herself from taking one, the woman held the edge of her glass to her lips when someone brushed against her arm from the side.

"Oh, excuse me."

Asami turned to find an older man, middle-aged with dark brown hair and intensely blue eyes. "No, excuse _me_. I wasn't paying attention." She smiled for effect.

He returned the gesture and nodded, cocking his head slightly as a curious look came to his face. "You're Asami Sato, correct?"

She blinked. "That's right."

"Owner and CEO of Future Industries?"

Asami chuckled. "Last I checked."

"Then you're exactly the right person to bump into." The man extended his hand, smiling. "Malcolm Merlyn, Merlyn Global. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time, discuss a few potential investments."

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh? What sort of investments?"

"I hear your R&D department is performing research into…sonic technology, interpreting and using sound waves for various applications, and I'd very much like to get a closer look at that. We can discuss the specifics at a later date, certainly, but…I would be grateful if you consider Merlyn Global as a potential partner in the development of this research. My own scientists have been experimenting as well, and I think it would be…beneficial for us to merge resources."

Intrigued, Asami cocked her head. "An interesting proposal, Mr. Merlyn. Why don't we talk about it over some champagne? I'm sure we can come to an understanding."

A smile slowly spread over his features. "I'm very glad to hear that, Ms. Sato."

…

 _So glad that's over_.

Barry breathed an audible sigh of relief as the last song came to a halt, his dance partner following suit as she chuckled, face flushed slightly with exertion.

"As I live and breathe…Barry Allen."

Barry turned toward the familiar voice, eyes widening and face splitting into a grin. "Eddie!" He let go of Korra's arm to clasp the blonde man's and give him a pat on the back. "Long time no see."

"A year, actually," Eddie said in a lightly reprimanding tone, smiling slightly. "Not since your…incident."

"Y-Yeah…right." Barry had the sense to look sheepish. "Sorry about that. It's been crazy at work, I'm always busy."

"No excuse."

The CSI nodded slowly, grimacing as he looked down. "I know. But hey, we should get some coffee sometime. Tomorrow maybe."

Eddie grinned, his blue eyes lighting up. "I'd like that."

Barry kept smiling for a few more seconds, remembering the girl at his side and clearing his throat. "Excuse me, where are my manners? Korra, this is Edward Thorne. Ed, this is Avatar Korra."

"Please," the man said with a smile and an extended hand, "call me Eddie."

She smiled back and returned the shake. "Any friend of Barry's is a friend of mine."

"Good to know, since you'll be meeting another in about…" Eddie stood up on tiptoes to look over Barry's head, "two seconds."

Barry turned around, scanning the crowd for familiar faces when his eyes alighted on a rather short blonde woman on stiletto heels. His jaw dropped as his eyes widened when she closed the distance, sun-rivaling smile plastered to her face.

"Felicity?" he asked in disbelief.

She grinned. "Hey Barry."

He looked between her and Eddie. "Y-You're here with—"

"Yep."

"So…how long have you two been…you know—" He motioned between them as she drew up alongside the taller man.

"Oh, we're not," she assured him. "Just a friendly night out on the town."

Eddie shrugged. "I got invited because of my government research, and since Felicity was in town…I decided, what the hell? I believe her words of acceptance were, 'A chance to rub elbows with the mookety-mooks of Republic City? Absolutely.'"

Felicity fixed him with an offended look. "I did _not_ say that."

Barry pursed his lips and shrugged. "It _does_ sound like something you'd say."

She just snorted in a very unladylike fashion and turned her attention to Korra. "Wait…is this—this is Korra, as in _Avatar_ Korra?"

"The one and only," she replied.

"Oh. My. Gosh. I am a _huge_ fan," Felicity exclaimed, motioning wildly with her hands. "What is it like being able to bend all the elements at once? Do you ever get them mixed up or confused?" She smacked her forehead. "Duh, of course not. They're all completely different styles of movement."

Korra shot Barry a look, to which he just shrugged and let his shoulders shake with silent laughter. As Felicity continued to shoot off question after question, Eddie stepped in.

"'Scuse me, Felicity. I don't mean to interrupt, but…I've been itching to dance all night, and my partner is…less than enthusiastic about it. So…" he gave Korra a pointed look, then turned to Barry, "do you mind if I steal your date for a dance?"

Barry looked to Korra, who shrugged slightly, then turned back to Eddie. "Not at all."

Eddie took the Avatar's hand with a smile, then escorted her to the dance floor and out of their immediate vicinity.

"Korra seems nice," Felicity said suddenly, smiling. "And pretty, like _really_ pretty. Congratulations."

Barry blinked rapidly. "Oh, we—we're not together. She's just a friend."

"Uh huh." Felicity looked out onto the dance floor absently. "Could've fooled me."

The CSI rolled his eyes and sighed.

"But onto another topic—I finally graduated."

"From the doctorate program?"

She nodded.

Barry laughed. "Congrats. Yeah, I heard about that. Felicity Smoak, top scientific researcher of the Ba Sing Se University's class of 171." He shrugged with a sigh. "Sorry I couldn't come to the graduation."

"Well, to be fair, you _were_ kinda busy, you know…getting struck by lightning and all." She shifted from one foot to another, a conspiratorial smirk coming to her face. "Though I am surprised you didn't contact me after, considering how close we were growing up. Didn't call, didn't write, didn't… _race_ over to see me."

Barry stared at her blankly for a few seconds, the knowing smile on her face finally registering as his jaw dropped. "How do you—"

"We have a mutual friend. Specifically, a mutual _billionaire_ friend…who's fond of pointy objects." She tapped her index fingers together for emphasis.

The boy's jaw dropped some more. "You mean you—"

Felicity nodded slowly.

Barry huffed out a disbelieving breath. "How long?"

"Pretty much since he got back. Oliver was…" She grimaced. "It wasn't good. Let's just leave it at that."

"I bet. Stuck on a deserted island for five years? Would do a number on _anyone_ , especially the kind of person he was when he first disappeared."

"Oh, the island was tough…but it was far from deserted."

Barry blinked hard.

"I'll tell you about it another time. Bottom line is, I know…pretty much everything."

He nodded slowly.

"How are you holding up?"

Barry smiled slowly. "Why don't I tell you over coffee? Sometime tomorrow maybe?"

"Eh, tomorrow won't work. Got way too much work to do."

He grinned. "Your boss keeps you busy, huh?"

"Mhm."

"He better pay you handsomely."

"Oh, he does…in all _sorts_ of ways." Felicity waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Barry coughed repeatedly, face burning up. "Okay, thank you. TMI."

Felicity just giggled and slapped his arm. "Gosh, you are _so_ easy to embarrass."

He snorted and crossed his arms. "You're one to talk."

"I am. And I know it."

They kept smiling, Barry shaking his head slowly as he just enjoyed the atmosphere for a while. A throat cleared behind them.

"Hey Bear," Korra said, disengaging herself from Eddie, "can I talk to you?"

"Sure," he replied, stopping when Felicity tapped his arm with one hand while the other linked with Eddie's arm.

"Don't be a stranger," she ordered firmly.

"I'll second that," Eddie added.

"And I will _third_ it," Barry replied. "Trust me, there will be a lot of…reconnecting in the next few days, okay?"

"Fair enough. See ya Bear."

Barry nodded in response and turned back to Korra, who was frowning slightly. "What's up?"

Her head shook. "Not here."

"Okay," he said, taking her hand as she led him into one of the side hallways and closed the door behind them. " _Now_ what's up?"

Korra turned to him slowly, sighing. "I overheard the beginning of your conversation with Felicity."

He shrugged. "So?"

"When she congratulated us for being a couple—"

"I denied it. Which is true."

"To which she replied, 'You could've fooled me.'"

Barry stared at her, pursing his lips. "And?"

Korra blinked hard, eyebrows furrowed. "Barry, you said tonight wouldn't bring any of…that into focus. You said nothing would happen."

His temper was starting to thin. "I said _I_ would never bring any of that into focus. As for anything happening along the lines of…you know…" he shrugged, "how am I supposed to control that? And besides, you said yourself that things are different now, that everything's changed between us. You just never specified how _much_."

"Barry, that should be a no-brainer. I still haven't even figured out how I feel about you, much less the details of having a relationship in the condition I am now."

"It's been a _month_ since you've known, Korra. A month that I've waited for you to make a decision."

"And you think that's enough time?"

He snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "It took you all of _two weeks_ to figure out how you felt about Mako."

Korra's eyes narrowed and tone sharpened. "Oh yeah? And look how _that_ turned out." She sighed hard. "Look, Barry…no matter how I feel, the world needs its Avatar back. Even if I wanted to, I can't be in a relationship right now."

"Then just _say no_!" he yelled, finally snapping. "Okay?! Stop—stop dangling maybes in front of me! Say that you don't feel _anything_ for me, that you have _zero_ desire whatsoever for us to be _more_!" He heaved a few heavy breaths as she stared at him in stunned silence, hurt written in her features. "Can you?"

When she pursed her lips and didn't respond, he snorted.

"That's what I thought."

Korra gulped and looked away as footsteps reached Barry's ears.

"Barry, we need to talk."

He whirled toward the source, snarling slightly. "Cisco, now is _really_ not a good time."

The engineer, accompanied by Asami and Caitlin, blinked hard, gaping slightly. "Dude…Snart's back."

That stopped Barry in his tracks.

"He has the diamond. Cops spotted him heading for the monorail out of town."

"If he gets out of the city," Caitlin said, "we'll never find him."

"And considering the way things went the last time the police tried to apprehend him," Asami began.

"I'm the only one who can stop him," Barry finished, voice quiet. "Fine."

Caitlin held out a duffle bag. "We brought your suit."

Barry took the bag and turned into a lightning-rimmed blur as he put the red suit on, clad seconds later in his thermal-resistant uniform. His right hand went up to his ear and tapped the lightning bolt covering it.

Cisco's eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, you—turned your earpiece off. How are we gonna talk to each other?"

Barry fixed Korra with a cold look, then shifted his gaze back to his team. "I don't feel like talking right now." With a flash of golden lightning, he was gone.

…

Asami watched the whole exchange with a slightly gaping mouth, noting how Korra slunk off into another secluded hallway before turning to the other two present. "You should go after him."

"You heard him, boss," Cisco said.

"He wants to do this alone," Caitlin added.

Asami rolled her eyes. "Of _course_ he said that. He's hurt and upset and frustrated. Those three make a very dangerous combination for someone who's about to run into a fight. He's not thinking straight, and as his teammates, it's your duty to safeguard him when that happens."

Cisco shrugged. "So? He's the fastest man alive…and besides, you're part of that team too. Why can't you go after him? You know, considering you're the only one of us with _actual_ field experience?"

Asami's brows furrowed. "I'm also _extremely_ high-profile, unlike you two. I'll be missed here, and if it ever gets out to the press that I went missing at the same time the Flash confronted Snart, it'll look suspicious."

Both employees looked ready to concede that point.

"Besides," she said flatly, "if I had a yuan for every time the Avatar told me to back off, I'd never have to worry about Future Industries going bankrupt ever again. Cisco, you created Snart's water suppressor. If anyone'll know a way to stop it, it's you."

After a few seconds, a massive grin spread over Cisco's features. "I have something that might help."

Asami nodded. "Good. Get it ready and get to the train station as soon as you can. Barry's counting on you."

The pair headed off toward the van parked outside, Asami moving for Korra's last heading.

…

Korra stared blankly at the tiled floor for a few minutes, blinking every so often, but otherwise not moving at all.

 _Did breaking up with Mako ever hurt this much?_

She honestly couldn't remember. Apart from the fact that it had happened over a year ago, the breakup itself wasn't particularly highlighted in her memory. Briefly, she wondered if that was because the memories themselves were too painful to be recalled, and therefore blocked out by her mind in an attempt to shield her. It didn't matter.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Korra blinked and gulped hard, slowly turning to face the source of the soft voice, finding Asami looking at her with a mixture of sympathy and frustration.

"Why are you doing this to _him_? What has he done to deserve that kind of madness?" She threw her hands up. "And why do you _insist_ on denying yourself what you _clearly_ want?"

Korra just frowned and looked despondently at the ground.

"It wasn't a rhetorical question," Asami added after a few seconds.

The waterbender looked up slowly, fists tightening as she finally found her voice, albeit at a whisper. "Because I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

Korra chuckled humorlessly. "These days, what am I _not_ afraid of?" She leaned heavily against a nearby wall. "Zaheer, the Red Lotus, pain, loss." Korra sighed. "Vulnerability." She traced a pattern on her forearm. "Seven months ago, I _knew_ what true helplessness feels like. And now that I do…I just can't let go. Can't let go of the reins, of my control. I feel like if I leave myself open like that…it'll kill me."

"To the wrong person…yeah." Asami drew closer and laid a hand on Korra's shoulder. "But this is _Barry Allen_ we're talking about. There's isn't an insensitive or cruel bone in his body. And you _know_ that, so that's still not the real reason."

The Avatar thought about it for another minute or so. "I…I have nothing to offer him." She looked up, eyes red and stinging, gulping past the lump in her throat. "All this time…these months I've known him, Barry's been the strong one, always taking care of me, keeping me safe, helping me heal." Her head shook. "I can't _ever_ pay him back for that. Right now, I can't fight, can _barely_ bend. I'm not the Avatar; I'm barely a functioning human being. And if I do this…I'm afraid that one day he'll wake up and realize he chose the wrong girl."

Silence enveloped the hallway for a few moments before Korra realized Asami's hand had left her shoulder. She looked up just in time to see her open palm smack into the side of her face. Korra's head snapped back, cheek stinging, to stare at her friend in shock.

"What was _that_ for?"

"To knock some _sense_ into you," Asami replied agitatedly, "since the _rational_ way isn't working. Newsflash, Korra, this is Barry freaking Allen. He doesn't care _what_ you are, only _who_ you are. You know something? Did you ever consider the fact that he never knew you before the wheelchair? Before the Red Lotus? He never knew the kind of person you were before you were crippled, which means all he has to base his opinion on is _who you are now_." She jabbed a finger into Korra's chest for emphasis. "And he _likes_ who you are. He likes _you_ …not the Avatar." Asami's head shook. "And if you think he'd _ever_ leave you because of _that_ …then maybe you don't know Barry Allen as well as you think you do."

Korra stared blankly at her until she left and returned to the ballroom, turning her eyes to the ground as her brows furrowed.

 _"Nobody worth knowing loves you because you're the Avatar. Maybe a better way to put it is: no one loves the Avatar. They love_ you _."_

Her lips parted as her eyes slowly rose.

 _"They love_ you _."_

An exhausted sigh left her lips as she slumped back into the wall, brooding for a few more seconds before rejoining the party.

…

Republic City, Central City Station

The Flash sped past two metalbending cops as they attempted to capture Snart, the thief returning fire with his water gun and freezing a girder supporting the ceiling over their heads. It shattered under the weight, dumping hundreds of pounds of concrete on the officers. They found themselves on the ground next to a concrete pillar twenty feet away in the blink of an eye. When they regained their footing and gave chase once again, Snart was gone, already having hopped onto a train headed out of town. A streak of golden lightning followed it.

Barry crashed through a glass window in one of the train's cars, having seen Snart's blue-clad figure heading for the front from outside. He stopped right in front of him, staring at the thief, whose hood was up, gun held at the ready.

"There's nowhere to run!" Barry shouted.

Snart ignored the comment. "I didn't see you before." He smirked. "Your mom know you're out past your bedtime?"

The Flash smiled malevolently. "If you wanted to get away, you should've taken somethin' faster than a train."

Snart just smiled. "That's if I _wanted_ to get away."

Barry's smile vanished.

"I've seen your weakness—at the armored car, then at the warehouse. See, while you're busy saving everybody, I'll be saving myself."

Immediately, he pointed the gun downward and shot the liquid into the flooring, the concentrated stream punching tiny holes through the weakened metal and freezing the moving discs below. The sound of screeching metal filled the air as Barry covered his eyes from the glare and Snart made his way to an exit door.

"Good luck with that!" he taunted before leaping out.

Barry could feel the train's movement start to destabilize, the frozen discs disrupting the vehicle's entire motion as they refused to turn. In the moment after Snart exited the train, he knew the whole thing was going to derail in seconds. There had to be dozens of people on it, all about to die horrible deaths. _Not if I'm fast enough._ He hadn't been in the warehouse, and an innocent cop had died as a result. That wouldn't happen this time. It _couldn't_. He was the Flash, the fastest man alive. He was speed itself.

The moment his car came off the tracks and decoupled from the cars in front, everything slowed to a crawl, glass shards and dust filling the air as everyone's feet left the ground. The Flash took a moment to assess the situation, mind working at lightning speed as he calculated his exact path, then bent his knees slightly. Lightning danced in his eyes for the hundredth of a second before he moved.

Flash. Flash.

Two passengers were deposited outside as the front car's left corner hit the ground, the car immediately behind it smacking into its side, its rear lifting into the air as it too came off the tracks.

Flash. Flash. Flash.

The front car was completely cleared as he moved onto the cars behind it, streaking through one aisle after the next, taking two people per run, one on each shoulder, and rushing them outside.

Flash. Flash. Flash. Flash.

The second car completely upended, its body pointed toward the sky. The Flash ran alongside it as it started to flip back down, spotting its last occupant, a woman, suspended in the middle, spinning midair. He sprinted in through the back entrance, running up its wall and to the ceiling as he approached her, right arm looping around her waist as he leapt off a seat and toward the exit. He was outside in another split-second, depositing her in a safe location before running back in for a final check.

Satisfied that everyone was out, he didn't notice the train car about to land on him until it was almost too late, and then he sped up considerably, running past the falling metal deathtraps and their impact points. He stumbled on the last step, the vibrations from the simultaneous collisions throwing off his running pattern and causing him to fall forward. A few heavy breaths left his lungs before he started to push himself up.

Only to hit the ground again when a burning cold hit his lower midsection, a massive chunk of ice encasing his abdomen as he slowly turned his body upward. His eyes widened as several pained breaths left his body, the malevolent figure of Leonard Snart approaching, sights trained on the prone Flash.

"Pretty fast, kid…but not fast enough." The thief stood there for a few seconds, cocking his head. "Thank you."

"For what?" he choked out.

"You forced me to up my game, not only with this gun, but with how I think about the job." He shrugged and smiled. "It's been educational." His finger tightened around the trigger the moment an electronic whirr sounded from behind him.

"Drop it," a new voice said.

Barry looked behind Snart to see Cisco and Caitlin, the former holding some kind of weapon, the latter a cylindrical storage container of some type.

"This is a prototype water suppressor," Cisco threatened. "Four times the size, four times the power—which means that where that thing can give bruises, this one'll cut you right in half."

Snart smirked and turned back to Barry. "I was wondering who you were talking to."

"Hey!" Cisco shouted. "Unless you want a taste of your own medicine, I'd back the hell up!"

"Your hands are shaking," Snart said flatly. "You've never killed anyone."

"There's a first time for everything, Captain Cold."

Snart grinned, looking every bit on the verge of laughing as his head reared up.

"I _will_ shoot you."

The thief sighed and waited another second before lifting his gun. "You win, kid. I'll see you around." He gave the Flash one more long look before turning and walking away toward the flaming wreck.

"Hey," Cisco called, "leave the diamond."

"Cold" snorted. "Don't push your luck."

When he was out of sight, Cisco powered down the device and turned toward Barry. "Couldn't shoot him if I wanted to. This is actually the Future Industries vacuum cleaner—" he chuckled, walking toward Barry, "—with a _lot_ of lights and buzzers."

Caitlin, ever the worry-wart, rushed over to his side and waterbent the ice and water away. "Let's get you warm."

Barry let a smile spread over his features. "Thank you…both of you."

Cisco grinned and took his hand. "Anytime, bro. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but…don't you have a party to get back to?"

Barry's smile vanished as he let out a groan while Cisco and Caitlin hauled him to his feet. "Yeah…much as I may _really_ not want to be there…I kinda have to. At least to see it through." He gave them a glance. "You two can get back, right?"

They nodded in tandem, Caitlin adding, "Of course," with a smile.

Barry had to admit, it looked good on her. "All right then." A long breath was exhaled. "Off I go."

Ten minutes later, he was back at City Hall, dressed back up, his suit stashed somewhere safe as he walked into the ballroom, searching absently for Korra. His search was interrupted when a brunette woman with a decidedly predatory look approached him.

"Well hello handsome," she purred. "Where have _you_ been stashed all night?"

Barry laughed nervously. "Uh, I'm…sorry, you are?"

"Lia."

"Lia…"

"Just Lia. You?"

"Barry," he reluctantly replied, barely suppressing a shudder at the way she was sizing him up. He frantically looked around for Mako, Bolin, Asami, _anyone_ in a position to rescue him. Which was when he felt manicured fingers on his arm.

"Come here often?"

"N-Not really," he stuttered, face flushing as she got closer and closer.

"That's a shame. If you did, it wouldn't have taken so long for me to find you. I mean, how can a guy like you be all alone? Tall, handsome, firm."

He nearly jumped when she put a palm on his chest, instead chuckling uncomfortably and drawing back a few steps.

"What do you say we grab a few drinks after this, see where it leads us?"

"I uh…I-I really appreciate the offer," he lied, "but I'm uh, I'm beat. Probably gonna go straight home after this."

"Lia" pouted. "Aww, nobody's too tired for a few drinks. Come on." She leaned in closer and whispered huskily, her hands on his forearms. "I'll make it worth your while."

This time, he _did_ shudder, forcing his hands not to vibrate at superspeed as every nerve in his body screamed " _escape_." Suddenly, movement in the crowd caught his eye, and his eyebrows furrowed when he saw them parting into an aisle. His jaw dropped the second he found the reason.

…

1 minute earlier

Korra had knocked back her third glass of champagne, and was working on the fourth when Asami strode up alongside her.

"Think any about what I said?"

Korra glanced at her and nodded. "Though I'm not quite sure what I'm gonna do. I pretty much ruined things already…and even if I didn't, Barry's gone to fight Snart…" she snorted, "and given the way we left things, he's probably not coming back."

Asami looked past her. "Oh? Then who's that?" She nodded toward a side entrance, leading to a balcony.

Korra turned to follow her line of sight, eyes brightening as she started to move in Barry's direction. Which is when she saw _her_. A dark-haired woman…short, scandalously clad…probably zero upper body strength. She didn't care. All that mattered was that that… _thing_ was touching Barry. Was _coming_ _on_ to Barry. And as dark blue eyes narrowed in anger and a scowl plastered itself to her face, she decided that was absolutely _unacceptable_.

Bolin spotted Korra as she headed toward the pair, speaking to the patrons nearest him. "Attention, good people, we have a homicidal Avatar in transit. Clear a path."

And they did. Even the ones that hadn't heard him gave the Avatar a wide berth the moment they caught sight of her and the deadly look on her face. The last person to catch sight of her…was Barry. Later, she would decide that his reaction was probably the second best thing she experienced that night. At the moment, it didn't matter how utterly terrified he looked, either as she rapidly closed the distance or grabbed the arm of that _hussy_ and practically tossed her aside despite her protests. It didn't matter when he tensed up, hands rising slightly as if expecting a blow.

It didn't matter, because as soon as she was within range, Korra's hands locked around the back of Barry's head and pulled it down as she smashed her lips into his with complete abandon.

A startled noise came from the back of his throat as the entire room fell _utterly_ silent…except for the occasional shattering of dropped glass, and the flashing of cameras seconds later. The kiss lasted a full ten seconds before Korra pulled away, breathing heavily, eyes dark and narrowed as she stared at Barry, and he back at her, openmouthed. He was the first to break the silence.

"I-I got nothin'."

Korra smirked. "That's a first." The smirk faded instantly as she turned to her left, facing the woman she'd tossed aside, who was staring at them with unabashed shock. "Barry's not interested, but he's far too polite to say so, so I'll say it for him." She leveled a death glare at the woman. " _Shove off, bitch._ "

No sounds of protest—or any kind—came from her. The reporters, on the other hand, were clicking away with abandon. Korra sighed as she prepared to face them.

"Just stand there and look pretty," she ordered, smirking in satisfaction when Barry gulped and nodded. Korra slowly turned to face the press, standing erect, with her chin high as her arm linked with Barry's. "Before _any_ of you say anything, know this: I am answering only the questions I've anticipated are on everyone's minds. I am Avatar Korra, the same who, nearly eight months ago, was rendered crippled by the escaped criminal Zaheer. I've since recovered the use of my legs and am planning to resume… _some_ of my Avatar duties in the near future."

She sent a pointed look to President Raiko. "As for the _other_ question on your minds—this—" she pulled on Barry's arm, "—is Barry Allen. He is a crime scene investigator with the Republic City Police Department…and he is my boyfriend."

A second after the startled murmurs started, she caught sight of Mako's gaping expression, Asami's knowing smile, and Bolin's arm-pump and whoop of, "Score!" She also noticed the hand Bolin held out to his brother, the way Mako numbly dropped a small bag of yuans into his palm, and how a nearby Chief Beifong said, "I better be getting a cut of that."

Korra shifted her attention back to the reporters. "Any further questions can be forwarded to my address at Air Temple Island." She began to pull Barry toward the balcony exit, stopping mid-step to look back at the journalists. "Oh, and they may or may not ever be answered." Without further ado, she half-dragged her new boyfriend out into the cool night air, taking a breath more hearty and free than she had in a long time.

A broad smile stole over her features as she closed her eyes, opening them seconds later to face Barry, who still looked more than a little discombobulated. Korra gulped slightly. "You okay?"

When he didn't answer, only stared blankly at her, she pulled his head down again and gently pressed her lips to his, pulling away a second later.

"Is _this_ okay?"

Barry's lips twitched a few times, his lack of response starting to worry her. Finally, he took a breath. "Before I answer that…can I ask you something?"

She nodded slowly, heart in her throat.

"Is it…is it sad that I'm eighteen…and you'd be my first girlfriend?"

Relief hit her like a freight train as she laughed. "Is it sad that I'm almost twenty and you'd only be my second boyfriend?"

He mock pouted. "Guess we're both just a couple of sad saps, aren't we?"

Korra's arms curled around his neck, fingers lacing together as his hands rose to her waist, expression perfectly serious as her half-lidded eyes stared into his. "I can live with that."

Suddenly, something changed in Barry's face, every trace of levity gone as he returned her look with equal intensity. And then his lips were on hers, that same urgency and desperation as their first time there in all its glory, though this time there was nothing to interrupt them. A resounding hum of enjoyment came from Korra's throat as she leaned into him fully, angling her head to deepen the kiss, her eyes closing to savor every feeling. Let it never be said that inexperience curtails passion, because Korra could say unequivocally that Barry Allen was by far the most passionate kisser she'd ever known.

When they finally broke apart, no words were exchanged, only a contented silence as gentle smiles were plastered to both their faces, their right hands coming together as Barry looped his left arm around her shoulders, both turning to face the bay. As Korra leaned the side of her head into Barry's chest, left hand holding the one on her shoulder, she closed her eyes for a second, then opened them to take in the full moon and starry night.

It was beautiful.

His right hand's fingers laced through hers, arm tightening around her shoulder.

It was perfect.

* * *

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Going Rogue: confrontation at the station/train derails/fastest man alive; Eddie and Iris: answering questions to end of chapter


	13. Connected

Connected (adj): sharing some common trait or origin.

Next day

Air Temple Island

7 months, 4 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

A long breath was exhaled as a pair of dark blue eyes fluttered open, flitting upward as the pale red light of sunrise filled a nearby window. Korra groggily nuzzled her pillow, snuggling closer into it as her tired eyes closed again. A few seconds after resuming her attempts to sleep, she noticed a foreign warmth beneath her fingertips and looked down to find the source. Her lips parted slightly as she saw a wiry hand under hers, an unkempt mop of auburn hair right next to it. She couldn't restrain the massive grin that plastered itself to her features as she closed her eyes and slightly tightened her grip around his hand.

Last night had been… _amazing_.

After the initial declaration to the press and their following disappearance, the new couple had taken a joyride across Republic City, Barry just driving to drive, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding hers. The small, dreamy smiles that had arisen after their third kiss had never left them, either as they brought her car back to Air Temple Island, or as Barry stole her away once again to perch atop his lighthouse lookout and watch the stars. They'd spoken in quiet tones all night, not bothering to keep track of the time as the moon fell out of sight and their eyes began to hang heavy.

Korra didn't even remember leaving the lighthouse, only waking up briefly, hearing the sounds of rapidly displaced water and seeing Barry's smiling face as he carried her back home. Considering the current situation, it stood to reason that he'd spent the night, since his head was squished against her sheets, body hanging half off the bed. Korra suppressed a chuckle. _It_ can't _be comfortable to sleep like that._ Cautiously, she lifted her free hand and threaded her fingers through his silky-soft hair, tilting her head to see his peacefully sleeping face. A brief notion of how watching someone sleep was creepy flitted through her head before it was instantly dismissed.

They were together now. All such discomfort was a thing of the past. Korra felt a sharp breath leave her lungs as it hit her again. _We're_ together _._ _I'm dating Barry Allen, the Flash…a freaking superhero._ Her face split into a gigantic grin as she closed her eyes. A moment later, she felt movement under her hand, the heat increasing as five strong fingers closed around hers.

"Good morning," she whispered without opening her eyes.

"Hm," he hummed drowsily, his voice increasing in volume as she felt the bed shift.

A small, surprised gasp left her lips when they felt his on them, the Avatar leaning toward him as his free hand traced patterns over her left arm.

"Good morning," he returned after pulling away.

Korra opened her eyes to see him staring down at her, an incredibly warm smile on his face. Another shuddering breath left her lungs. _How in Ravva's name did I say no to him for this long?_ Unable to restrain herself, she pulled him back down for another kiss, arms wrapping around his neck as his torso lowered to accommodate her.

He grunted in discomfort, forcing her to pull away when a cramp started in his shoulder.

"You know, you _could_ just get in here with me."

Barry, it seemed, hadn't gotten the memo about discomfort, because he turned red as a beet. "Uh…appealing as that is, I don't think I'm quite ready for that step. Besides, if your father ever caught me—fastest man alive or not, he _would_ kill me."

Korra shrugged with a smirk. "True. Dads are special that way."

"Oh, spirits…wait 'til he finds out."

The girl spotted something white under her door, airbending it toward her and unfolding that morning's newspaper. Her eyes widened completely. "Something tells me…he already has." Korra handed it to Barry with a sigh and a smirk, watching in amusement as his face shifted from surprised to resigned to outright panicked as his face continually increased in redness. "What?" she asked, a laugh in her tone.

"They think _I'm_ the reason you've been hiding yourself for seven months."

Every trace of mirth was eradicated instantly. "Wait… _what_?!"

Barry winced at the sudden outburst, dutifully handing her the paper as she snatched it out of his hands, watching as her face went through even more extreme changes than his had, her last emotion settling on outrage.

"How… _dare_ they?!" She made to exit, but was stopped by Barry's arms around her midsection. "Let me go! I'm gonna teach those useless gossips a thing or two about—"

"Korra," he said softly, in a nearly purring voice.

She froze instantly, some chord inside her struck hard.

"Relax."

Instantly, she sighed and melted back into his arms, holding them and leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Just enjoy the morning. Today is an off-day for me, so we've got all the time in the world to do whatever we want."

Korra rubbed her cheek against his arm as she cuddled closer. "What did you have in mind?"

She felt him shrug. "I dunno. I kinda like this. Just…cuddling. I'm a very cuddly person, in case you didn't know."

She chuckled lightly. "I had my suspicions."

He planted a light kiss on her hair, the tips of his fingers reaching to stroke her sides. They were content to sit in silence as they watched the sun rise, just enjoying their newfound source of warmth in each other. Korra's eyes started to drift closed as the heat began to lull her back to sleep, the process interrupted when she felt a wet, slightly tickling sensation at her neck. A contented sigh left her throat as she craned her neck to the side, hand drifting up to cradle Barry's head, gently stroking his hair until he laid his chin on her shoulder.

"I could get used to this," he whispered.

Korra smiled. "Makes two of us. To be honest, I kinda don't even wanna get out of bed today. At all. Except maybe to eat."

He chuckled. "I would share that sentiment, except as the fastest man alive, I have a difficult time staying still for long periods, no matter how enjoyable the company."

Another long kiss at her neck sent an appreciative sigh from her throat. "So where do you want to go?"

He hesitated. "Well…we're together now, which is _awesome_ …but I was kinda hopin' I could go see Eddie for coffee. Alone."

"Oh. Okay."

"You sure? 'Cause I'm sure he wouldn't mind having extra company." Barry laughed. "Eddie never passes up an opportunity to tease me, especially about girls."

Korra chuckled. "As enjoyable as that would be, no. You and your friend have a lot of catching up to do. Speaking of, how _do_ you two know each other?"

"Childhood friends."

"You grew up together?"

"Not quite. Eddie was halfway between an older brother and a father figure. He's about eight years older than me, so when we met, he was coaching orphaned middle schoolers like myself. When he caught me getting bullied, he took me aside and taught me how to take care of myself on the streets, how to think fast and improvise. Every time I graduated early, he was the guy I celebrated with. He always had my back." Barry sighed. "I really hate myself for losing touch with him, but this last year…a lot's happened."

Her grip around his arms tightened. "Trust me, I know. Which is why I'm not going with you. Probably gonna go visit Asami and the FI techies, see what they've been developing lately. Speaking of, how did the thing with Snart go?"

"You mean you didn't read about the derailing?"

Her eyes went wide open as she turned her head to face him. "Snart derailed a train?!"

"Yeah…lots of damage, gonna be really expensive to replace." He nodded toward the forgotten newspaper. "Though be sure to check the casualty report." He smirked. "I think you'll find it to your liking." Barry rose from the bed, releasing Korra as he stretched out and yawned. "Anyway, I better get going, before someone spots me." He shrugged. "People might talk."

Korra snorted. "Please. People are _already_ talking."

Any further comebacks were silenced by his lips on hers, a small part of her insides melting as another part of her head found itself annoyed at his ability to do that. When he pulled away, her head was foggy, her thoughts clouded, vision a little tunneled. A shuddering breath left her lungs. She hadn't felt like that in over a year, not since she and Mako were first together. Korra nearly frowned at the memory. _This isn't like that. I rushed into things with him. Barry's different._ One look into his slightly grinning face and bright blue eyes, and she felt a massive fluttering in her stomach.

"See ya later, gorgeous."

He was gone a second later, leaving her somewhat shell-shocked and falling back onto her bed, bouncing a few times before settling in place. As an afterthought, she reached over and grabbed the newspaper, flipping over to the derailing story on page six. Korra winced at the cost to replace the damages, but when the story got to eyewitness accounts, her jaw dropped as her free hand covered her mouth. _Twenty-six people were on that train when it left the tracks. Not one has so much as a broken bone._ A massive wave of pride filled her chest as her gaze shifted out the window, gazing out into the bay to see the still-moving ripples left in her boyfriend's wake.

Korra grinned as she shook her head and held the paper close, letting her head fall back and closing her eyes as she drifted off once more.

…

10 minutes later

Republic City, Spirit Wilds

"Eddie!"

The blonde man pulled a set of high-magnification glasses off his face and looked back at the source of the voice, slightly scruffy face splitting into a grin. "Barry!" He took the younger man's hand and slapped him on the back. "How ya been? Though, I guess it's kind of a no-brainer, considering…you know."

"Yeah, I know. The papers got a hold of the story and ran with it," he groaned. "Blew it completely out of proportion."

Eddie shrugged. "I dunno…dating the Avatar? Kind of a big deal."

"But, you know, I don't see her that way."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"To me, she's just…Korra." Barry shrugged. "It's hard to describe. She's my friend, and she has these incredible powers, yeah…but those aren't the parts that matter, ya know?"

Eddie just stared at him blankly. "Not really, but…if you're both happy, who am I to complain?"

Barry nodded slowly, then motioned to the nearby spirit vines. "So what are you workin' on?"

"Oh, it's uh, it's a project for the Earth Kingdom. They're trying to figure out if there are any beneficial qualities to having spirit vines that constantly regenerate, see if there's any way to use them for something other than bad decorations."

"Like a building material?"

"Or a power source." He shrugged. "Honestly, it's all theoretical at this point, but I have managed to reach a few breakthroughs." Eddie crouched down and motioned at one nearby vine. "See this?" He made a shallow cut with a scalpel. "That liquid is about nine hundred _thousand_ times more conductive than water, and seven times more conductive than copper."

"Why aren't you developing electrochemical cells out of it yet?"

"Because," Eddie groaned as he stood, working out leg cramps, "it's too unstable. The liquid may be able to handle massive currents of electricity, but the tech it's supposed to power? Not so much. Until we can find a proper way to limit the amount of power that transfers from the battery to the tech—" he shrugged, "—like I said, it's all theoretical."

"Gotcha. So, coffee?"

Eddie nodded vigorously. "Coffee." He tucked his glasses into his jacket pocket as they walked to the nearest shop. "So how's _your_ work been going?"

Barry shrugged. "Oh, you know, every day's a new case. You hear about that big diamond heist last night?"

"The one with that Snart guy? Yeah."

"I was the CSI who analyzed his first crime scene the day before."

"Really? You always get high-profile cases?"

Barry smirked. "More than you know."

They arrived at the coffee shop and each ordered double espressos, Eddie because he was working long hours, Barry because his metabolism burned through anything less almost instantly. The moment their hands wrapped around warm mugs, Eddie leaned toward him intently, grinning.

"So what's it like dating the Avatar? I've always wanted to know."

Barry shrugged as his own face split into a sun-rivaling grin. "It's…like nothin' I've ever known…which isn't saying much, since she's my first ever girlfriend."

Eddie snorted. "No she's not. There was that uh…" he snapped several times, looking off to the side, "that Tatya girl, when you were twelve, wasn't there?"

Barry arched a brow. "Tanya?"

Eddie snapped. "That's it!"

The CSI snorted. "Are you kidding me? I barely _knew_ her, and all she wanted from me was a slave to carry her bags and girly stuff. I got beat on because I was too stupid to say no."

The older man gave him a wistful look. "You were cute and helpful then. And she was doe-eyed. How could you have said no?"

Barry rolled his eyes but grinned anyway as he leaned back in his seat and took a long drag of his espresso. "What about you? Any women in your life? I know you said you and Felicity weren't a thing, so…"

Eddie smiled and shrugged. "I'm married to my work, at least at this point in life. Really don't have time for anything else, and even if I did, the long, irregular hours would put strain on _any_ relationship." He shook his head and sighed. "I can't put someone else through that."

Barry shrugged. "Yeah, I guess…but if you ever decided to lessen your workload…" He saluted with his cup. "Do it. It's worth it."

The scientist nodded slowly, smile slowly fading. "On a more serious note, how is she? I know when she landed in that wheelchair eight months ago, things didn't look too good, but after that… _show_ last night, I'd say she's pretty well recovered."

Barry frowned. "To be honest…last night was an anomaly. Yeah, she's doin' a _lot_ better than she was back then, but…Eddie…" He leaned close to him. "Imagine having your entire career ahead of you. Tons of research, unlimited resources, and you know exactly where you're going in it all, have it all mapped out. Then imagine having all that yanked from your grasp and thrown in an incinerator, and to top it all off, the jerk responsible ran you over with his car."

Eddie paled a bit, staring down into his coffee. "Oh…gotcha."

"It's…been a long road, and there's a long way to go yet, but…" he smiled hopefully, "I've _never_ seen her the way she was last night. Never seen her so… _alive_. I've been helping her heal these last few months as a friend, and now that we're closer than ever, I'm hoping that'll increase exponentially."

The researcher smiled broadly. "Well if there's anyone who can pull _that_ off, it's you, Bear." He tapped a smiling Barry on the shoulder with his mug.

Barry nodded slowly. "Thanks, Ed." He checked his watch. "Anyway, I better get going. Kinda got a lunch date with my girlfriend—holy crap that is _really_ weird to say." He chuckled.

Eddie laughed with him, standing. "You'll get used to it. And I have to get back to work too. The mysteries of spirit power won't solve themselves."

They left the shop and made for the Wilds once again, crossing an intersection and getting halfway across when they heard the approaching sirens. Barry's gaze flickered to the right for barely an instant before he checked Eddie's line of sight. When his friend turned back to check on the CSI, he was gone. Suddenly panicked, Eddie turned in several directions, not noticing the danger approaching.

"Barry? Barry?!"

The roar of a massive engine reached his ears just in time for him to see the source, a large yellow off-roader heading straight for him. There wasn't any time to leap to safety, and the large man driving it seemed to have no intention of stopping. The moment Eddie lunged to the side was the moment he found himself in an alley a block away.

…

"What kind of tool steals a yellow jeep?"

Mako snorted, kicking the gas of his patrol car. "Unit five-nine, what kind of tool _buys_ a yellow jeep?"

He leaned out his open window to extend his left arm, firing a concentrated bolt of lightning at the fleeing yellow vehicle. A bump in the road sent his aim off slightly, and instead of hitting its tires, the bolt struck the car's rear windshield, making a considerable hole but otherwise doing no damage. The detective scowled, hitting the gas once again and closing another twenty feet before the jeep turned onto a side street, then another main thoroughfare. In broad daylight, Mako could see a man standing in the middle of the road, looking around disoriented, unaware of the yellow vehicle bearing down on him.

"Get down!" Mako yelled. "Move!"

Evidently, he hadn't heard, because the moment he looked at the car, there was an instant deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face. The second before the stolen vehicle ran him down, a red blur sped across the street, and he was gone. The detective smirked before refocusing on the thief, finally managing to close the distance and ram the front bumper of his car into the jeep's. The thief slammed on his brakes, making an audible squeal, and before Mako knew what was happening, his chest was aching and covered with an airbag, the device triggered by the impact of crashing into a much heavier vehicle that made a sudden stop.

His vision began to fade as he pushed the airbag out of his field of vision, managing to catch a yellow blur turning into a side alley, a smaller red one following right after.

…

The Flash ran past the fleeing car, taking off its side mirror in the process and standing right in its path, a chain-link fence at his back as it slowed to a stop.

"Step out of the vehicle!" he ordered.

"If you say so," the driver sighed, almost lazily following his instructions.

Barry figured out why when he tore the door off the car and hefted it like a club.

"Uh-oh," Barry murmured.

The man swung the door in a spin, then threw it straight at the Flash. Dodging to the side as it streaked past, the door imbedded itself in the fence. Eyes widening, he turned back to the man and charged forward, right hand flying toward his face and smacking directly into his jaw. His wrist broke on contact with his head, which was suddenly— _metal_?

An agonized yell exploded from Barry's throat as he stumbled past, cradling the injured appendage in his uninjured hand. The thief just stood there, looking back over his shoulder as his right fist clenched, a shiny substance crawling up and coating his entire arm before he brought it back into Barry's head. The Flash flew over the stopped vehicle, landing on the far side with a pained grunt, black spots swimming in his vision while he tried to get to his feet. Managing to get up on all fours, he looked up to see the thief approaching, expression hard as flint as he crouched in front of him.

"Looks like you were born to take a beating," he said threateningly. He snarled before cocking back his left hand as it too was covered in metal.

The appendage crashed into and cracked the pavement it impacted, the thief staring at the suddenly empty space vacated by a fleeing Barry.

…

Future Industries Airfield

"Check the math. Your dispersal models don't correlate."

Asami arched an eyebrow as her two star scientists strode into their tower command center.

Cisco gave Caitlin an affronted look. "Uh, they do if you factor in the seasonal fluctuations and reproduction cycles."

"What exactly are we debating?" Asami asked, bemused.

"The average number of bugs Barry swallows in a day of running?"

The tycoon just stared at the pair as her lips slowly stretched into a grin, her hand covering her eyes as her shoulders shook with silent laughter. The jovial mood was disrupted when a gust of wind entered the lab, a hoodless Barry Allen collapsing to the ground. Caitlin was moving instantly.

"Barry?" Cisco asked, alarmed, as they rushed to his side.

"Barry, are you okay?" Caitlin added, slowly rolling him over onto his back and gasping when she saw his split lip. Five minutes later, she had him in several body braces and lying on a bed in their suit storage room, Chief Beifong on their private radio link. "Thirteen fractures. That's a new record. And that's just in your hand. You also have a concussion, three cracked ribs, _and_ a bruised spleen." She winced. "Even with your powers…you'll need a few hours to heal."

Barry nodded slightly, looking like even that movement pained him.

"What exactly did you _hit_?" Asami asked.

He looked over at her. "A _man_. A…big, bad man." His brows furrowed. "His skin changed when I hit him. Like, it turned to metal."

Asami's eyes went wide. "Like…metal, metal?"

Barry nodded slightly.

She exhaled hard. "Interesting. A man of steel…"

"More like _really_ bad news," Beifong corrected in a grim tone.

Asami looked over at the radio. "How so?"

"If his description is right, the man Barry fought sounds like a joyriding thug we've been investigating since the attacks a month ago. Extremely advanced metalbender, codenamed Girder."

"What do you mean by 'advanced?'?" Barry asked, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"I mean he's a natural at it. Maybe even more so than me. He developed a technique called 'iron skin,' allows him to encase his body in a fluid metal coating, giving himself enhanced strength and durability. Typically, he only uses his bending for this purpose. Prefers to take out his opponent up-close and personal. Frankly, he's crippling himself making that choice, could probably take on five experienced metalbenders at once with his abilities. Not too bright in the head, though. We suspect, given the sheer power he has at his disposal, that he was responsible for the earthquake that created the 'endgame' tsunami."

Barry and Asami exchanged a look.

"We found the stolen jeep about ten minutes after you got to the airfield. According to eyewitness accounts, Girder stole at least three stashes of quality gems from jewelers across the Market District. There's no sign of them anywhere near the vehicle, though I've sent units to every well-known fence in the city. If he stops by any one of them, we'll know."

The speedster nodded, Asami noting Cisco giving Barry a look.

"You're lucky he didn't knock out your teeth," he said. "Those puppies don't grow back."

Barry didn't respond to his statement, only looked off into the distance, eyebrows furrowed. "Strange thing is, I…feel like I knew him."

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked.

He glanced at her. "He said something that was…familiar." A moment or two of silence passed before he turned to Asami. "But he's gonna hurt someone if we don't stop him, so how do I fight a guy who's made of steel?"

Asami bowed her head slightly. "We _will_ find a way. Tonight, you heal, and apologize to Korra for missing lunch."

Barry groaned loudly. " _Really_ don't feel up to running right now." He huffed a sigh when he saw Asami's deadpan expression. "But this needs to be done. Know where she is?"

Asami's lips pursed. "Last I heard, visiting Mako in the hospital."

Barry's eyes went wide open as he bolted upright. "Mako?! What happened to Mako?!"

"Relax," she replied calmly. "He was in a crash caused by Girder, but the airbags in his car worked perfectly. He's got a few bumps and bruises, but he's fine."

The CSI closed his eyes and released a sigh of relief before reaching for a sling. "I better go see him. See ya guys later." He turned to the resident doctor and grinned. "Caitlin, brilliant job patchin' me up, as always."

The icy woman smiled a little and nodded.

Asami took special note of that fact with an arched eyebrow before her speedster friend sped out. A smile stole over her features as she turned back to her desk and resumed typing up an investment proposal for Merlyn Global. "So, Dr. Snow."

"Yes, boss?"

"You seem to be smiling a bit more lately. Any particular reason?"

"Um…no?"

Asami arched an eyebrow at her. "You sound hesitant."

Caitlin just shrugged and returned to her workstation as Cisco shook his head and rolled his eyes, resuming work on a new treadmill design. Their boss just sighed contentedly and furrowed her eyebrows as legal information filled her vision once again.

…

5 minutes later

Aang Memorial Hospital

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Mako smirked and nodded repeatedly. "Got worse scrapes than this sparring with _you_. Speaking of, we need to get back to that if you're gonna be on the streets anytime soon. Can't have you out there rusty, and you've been outta the game for almost eight months. In fact—" a mischievous grin stole over his features, "—why don't you stop by the academy tomorrow? I'm training a whole class of officers and eggheads in self-defense. I think you could stand to learn a bit from the police curriculum."

Korra's eyes narrowed as her arms crossed. "Why do I sense an ulterior motive here?"

He chuckled and waved her off. "Come on. This is me, Korra. I wouldn't know subtlety if it bit me in the—"

"Mako!"

Korra spun and let her lips part slightly, stomach doing a little flip at the sight of her boyfriend. _Barry Allen, boyfriend…that's gonna take some getting used to._

"Hey, Korra," he said hurriedly, worried eyes immediately locking back onto his best friend. "Mako, heard you were in an accident. What happened?"

The detective snorted. "It wasn't an accident. Was chasin' a perp through the Market District, near the Spirit Wilds, and to lose me, the punk slams on his brakes and lets me crash right into him. Squad car's totaled, but I'm okay."

Barry sighed in relief. "Good."

That's when Korra noticed the sling around his right arm. "Whoa, Bear…what happened?"

He glanced down at the arm, lifting it gingerly. "Ah, it's nothin'. Just a sprain. Was tryin' to lift some equipment for Eddie and I overtaxed the muscles. No biggie."

Korra searched his face and found to her surprise that she could tell he was lying. She hoped the same didn't go for Mako.

Evidently, it didn't, since he just chuckled and shook his head. "Bear, you've had almost two months of physical training, and you still haven't built _any_ upper-body strength?"

He shot Mako an affronted look. "It was a _big_ piece of equipment, okay, Mr. Drill Sergeant?"

Korra arched an eyebrow. "Drill sergeant?" Her eyes narrowed as they slowly shifted to Mako. "This class you're teaching tomorrow, at the academy, Barry wouldn't happen to be one of your trainees… _would he_?"

The firebender let out a nervous chuckle as he withdrew a step. "Ah…maybe?"

She smiled and nodded slowly, her expression slowly turning mischievous as her gaze shifted back to Barry.

He just gave her a sideways look. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied, far too sweetly as she walked past him, hearing low tones behind her.

"You're in trouble, Bear," Mako was saying. "Whatever you did, apologize for it, then apologize again…and get her flowers for good measure."

"What?" Barry asked in disbelief. "Don't you think you're overreacting a little? Whoa…that look means it's that bad?"

"Yep. Good luck, roomie."

A muffled pat of Barry's shoulder was heard before the man himself ran up to Korra's side. "Look, I am _so_ sorry for missing lunch. I got caught up with something after I went to see Eddie, and I got injured, and—"

"That didn't happen lifting equipment, did it?" She motioned to the injured arm.

He frowned. "No. New big bad, metalbender, goes by Girder. Basically can make himself have a second metal skin, give himself super strength and endurance."

Her brows shot upward. "Whoa." She nodded at his arm with a frown. "So how bad is the damage, really?"

"Broken in thirteen places, plus a concussion and a couple cracked ribs." He shrugged and smiled as her jaw dropped. "Should be healed by bedtime."

Korra slowly shook her head. "I don't get how you can just…take getting hurt like that, and just shrug it off. Like it's nothing."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, at the time, it hurt like hell…but I get over it quickly." He slung his good arm around her shoulders. "You don't have to worry about me."

Korra sighed. "But I do anyway…especially since I'm not out there with you."

"Well, right now, there's a whole _list_ of reasons why that can't work. For one, you haven't even been in a _practice_ fight in almost eight months, and two, our…relationship is currently page one of every paper in the city. If the Avatar shows up fighting alongside the Flash in that kind of climate, people are gonna start putting the pieces together."

She blinked rapidly. "You're right. Sorry."

Barry shrugged and smiled. "'Sokay." His arm tightened around her, and he planted a kiss on her hair. "Just shows me how much you care."

When they exited the hospital, the couple made for Korra's car, but halfway there, a figure approached them from the side. The Avatar, already high-strung from finding out that two of the most important men in her life had been injured, disengaged herself from Barry's embrace and kicked a clump of tiles into the air, levitating them as she prepared to pummel whoever was approaching. She found a shorter, black-haired woman holding a notepad, her mouth wide open.

Blinking once, Korra let the tiles fall to the ground and chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry. Been a little high-strung lately. And you are?"

The woman blinked several times before shaking off her temporary paralysis. "Linda Park, Republic City Picture News."

A small, involuntary groan came from Korra's throat as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "How exactly did you know I was here?"

Linda smiled. "I have contacts within the hospital's personnel. Helps to get early scoops, especially with crime stories."

Korra crossed her arms as Barry looked on in amusement. "So what exactly do you want?"

She shifted from one foot to another. "Well…my editors are looking for some way to…speak to the Flash. I mean, he's rarely ever seen for more than a few seconds at a time. There's no way to contact him, and no one has any idea where he hangs his head."

In the corner of her eye, Korra could see Barry restraining laughter.

"So why come to me?" she asked.

"Well…about seven months ago, you were briefly stolen away on a bolt of lightning— _gold_ lightning. Just like the Flash. So, by all accounts, you were the first one to see him up close."

A cold pit settled into Korra's stomach. "So?"

"So, it _was_ him? Awesome! What was he like? What color eyes does he have?" She leaned in and added in a whisper, "Is he single?"

Korra's eyes narrowed. "Yes, enigmatic, blue, and I don't know. Anything else?"

Linda looked affronted. "Well…yes, lots. We know next to nothing about the Flash, save for the fact that he's the fastest man alive and spends his time helping the city. People are curious about his past, his origins. How does he do what he does? _Why_ does he do what he does? People like to know their heroes, and at this point, there's no question that's what he is."

Korra was strangely touched by this woman's faith, but still couldn't divulge anything. "I'm sorry. I just don't know…but I _can_ relay a message for you, see if he'd be willing to meet you himself."

Linda's brown eyes lit up like the northern sky. "Really? You'd do that? It would be… _such_ a big favor. I would _probably_ owe you for life," she chuckled.

Korra smiled. "Well, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. So, you work at RCPN?"

Linda nodded.

The Avatar nodded back. "I'll pass the word along. Shouldn't take long for him to respond. He's usually pretty quick about it," she added with a wink.

Linda snickered at her bad pun. "Well…all right then. This is so much more than I hoped for. Thank you. Really."

"You're very welcome, Linda. I gotta say, you're probably the first reporter I actually like. Not so…adversarial."

She snorted. "Well, I'm the kinda girl who cares more about finding the truth than making front page."

"Good. Don't _ever_ change that."

Linda smirked and gave her a salute. "Have a good evening, Avatar Korra."

"You too, Ms. Park."

Slowly, Korra turned back to her car and opened the driver-side door, Barry already in the passenger seat. She noticed him staring at her. "What?"

"Nothin'…it's just…I'm surprised."

"Why, because I'm civil toward someone who's not trying to smear me or the Flash?"

"No…surprised that you actually want me to do this."

Korra blinked as she turned the car's ignition. "The media can make or break public opinion on public figures. I've been on the receiving end of their wrath enough times to know how damaging bad press can be, both to morale and reputation. So trust me, having that woman in your corner? Definitely a good idea."

Barry nodded slowly, falling silent as he laid his head on her shoulder, cradling his injured arm in his good one as his eyes fluttered closed. The Avatar smiled slowly, leaning her head against his briefly before refocusing on the road. The trip back home was long and blurred, her mind elsewhere. Small movement at her shoulder snapped her out of it as they drove across the earth bridge to Air Temple Island, the White Lotus guards saluting the couple as they pulled into a parking space next to her residence.

"Bear? Hey, Bear."

"Mmm…"

Korra rolled her eyes, abruptly yanking her shoulder out from under his head, a loud thump alerting her to his head hitting the hard part of the armrest. Her shoulders shook with silent laughter as he instantly straightened.

"Hey," he protested, "guy with concussion here."

She giggled. "Sorry. You weren't waking up, and I don't feel like carrying you upstairs."

Barry shrugged. "If you don't mind, I'll think I'll just go home tonight."

"Oh…okay."

"N-Nothing's wrong," he quickly reassured her. "I'm just… _really_ , really beat."

"Getting the crap beat out of you by a metal man can do that," she quipped.

He offered a tired smile and nodded slowly.

Korra sighed. "You sure you'll be okay getting home?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll be good." His smile widened as he drew closer and casually pressed his lips to hers.

She responded with a small squeak and returned pressure, closing her eyes and humming a little at the warm, tingly sensation. His lips left hers with a quiet smack, the speedster smiling at her with half-lidded eyes.

"You have no idea how good it feels to finally be able to do that," he whispered.

Korra smirked. "Oh, I don't know. I'd been deprived of that kind of contact for a year until yesterday. Trust me, after the first kiss…it gets addictive."

Barry grinned and lifted his eyebrows. "I can definitely see why." His smile petered out slightly. "I'll see ya, Korra."

"See ya, Bear."

Her boyfriend vanished in a flash of gold, the trailing lightning streaking across Yue Bay like the first day they'd met. Korra smiled dreamily for a few minutes before picking herself up and heading inside.

…

Barry ran toward the city, injured arm tucked tightly against his chest as his mind processed the events of the day at superspeed. His consciousness went back to his fight with Girder, eyes narrowing as he replayed what he said in his mind.

" _Looks like you were born to take a beating."_

A slow blink as he rewound and played again, his mind altering the pitch of the voice.

" _Looks like you were born to take a beating."_

Barry's eyes shut completely as he focused harder, Girder's face flashing through his vision. It too was changed and morphed in his mind, above him in the same way it had been earlier that day, except in an orphanage instead of an empty street.

" _Looks like you were born to take a beating, Allen."_

Ice-blue eyes snapped open instantly, alarm rushing through him when he realized he was about to run into a wall. He adjusted his course immediately, heading straight for his apartment and stopping outside the door to fix his windblown clothes. He opened the door to find Mako passed out on the couch. Leaving his detective friend to his rest, he entered his room and closed the door, sitting on his bed and pulling his earpiece from his jacket pocket. A tap sent a signal to the airfield, where a drowsy-sounding Asami answered.

"'Sami here."

"Yeah, it's Barry." A moment's hesitation. "I know who Girder is."

"All right?" she asked, voice instantly sharp.

His lips pursed. "His name is Tony Woodward…and I knew him when I was a kid."

* * *

AN: Not much to say on this chapter, except that I'm psyched to write the next one. I will say something about Linda, though. I didn't feel that they played her character right in the show…at least, not one-hundred percent. And she's meant to be Wally West's romantic interest, not Barry Allen's. Anyway, I considered—very briefly—inserting Iris West into this story, but after some brief considerations, I decided that the presence of her character would create too much of a conflict, romantically speaking, and therefore I needed a different reporter figure to cover the Flash. Linda Park was the logical next best choice.

More to come soon. Stay tuned.


	14. Damaged

Damaged (adj.): to be at less than full structural integrity; alternatively, to have some flaw or defect.

Next day

Future Industries Airfield

7 months, 4 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Tony Woodward. Has a history of violence, petty theft, and assault dating back to juvie." Chief Beifong tabbed onto another slide as the projector put on an old mug shot of a young Tony, hair spiky and as wild as the look in his eyes. "He fell off the grid about ten months ago, hadn't been seen since. And now he's resurfaced as Girder."

Barry stared at the old photo, expression hardening as his jaw tightened.

"Something wrong, Allen?"

He looked up at her, all eyes on him. "No, just…remembering."

Lin blinked and crossed her arms. "Sato said you two had a history?"

The speedster nodded slowly. "Tony and I…we knew each other growing up." His head tilted. "But we weren't friends. He's an orphan like me, but _unlike_ me, he didn't exactly adjust well to the change. So he took his anger out on the other kids, left a lot of 'em with bruises or worse. I was stupid enough to step in a couple of times…so as a result, I got the worst of it. After the last beating, the people at the orphanage finally decided it had gone beyond the realm of just acting out, so they called the police and sent him to juvie." Barry shook his head slowly. "You wanna know the funny part? I never believed that he was actually a bad guy, just…in pain."

"Men in pain are unreliable," Lin stated flatly. "And unpredictable. Combine that, his incredible temper, and his metalbending abilities, and you've got a very dangerous criminal on your hands."

"Worst part is, we still haven't figured out how to stop him."

Silence reigned over the room until Cisco smirked. "So your childhood nemesis is now an unstoppable megahuman."

"Meta," Asami corrected.

Both Barry and Lin gave them a strange look.

"Metahuman." The tycoon shrugged. "It's a new term we coined for people with…unusual—and extremely powerful—abilities, bending or otherwise. Cisco and I decided it was time to start a database on these people, the ones we know about, anyway, just in case we run into any. The Flash is on there, as are Blackout, Zaheer, and the Avatar."

"I suggested we add Captain Cold to the database," Cisco drawled, "but she said he was more tech than sheer power." He shot Asami a look before returning his eyes to Barry. "Anyway, like I was saying, your childhood nemesis is now an unstoppable metahuman…which is _seriously_ messed up."

"I had a childhood nemesis," Caitlin said quietly, her face scrunched up. "Lexi LaRoche. She used to put gum in my hair."

Cisco scowled. "Jake Pocket. If I didn't let him copy my homework, he'd give me a Swirlie."

Barry sighed. "Now that we've established that we're all _uber_ nerds, what are we gonna do about Tony?"

The dark-skinned man grinned. "Glad you asked." He walked off into another section of the lab, Barry and the rest following. "We're gonna train you, man. Metalbender style." He pulled a large cabinet open and wheeled out a large metal dummy. "Behold."

Barry and the others stared at it for a few seconds.

"I call him Girder," Cisco said with a wink.

"For the record," Caitlin said, "not my idea."

"Fighting is physics," Cisco said, ignoring his coworker. "It's not about strength. It's not about size. It's about energy and power. Channel your speed the right way, and you can totally take this bad boy down." He turned to the dummy. "Now, obviously your Girder is a moving target, so…Chief Beifong, if you would."

The police chief sighed but nodded and snapped her arms toward the dummy. It immediately shifted to the left, then began swinging its arms into a fighting position. Barry just stared at it openmouthed for a few seconds before turning to Caitlin.

"I have ice and bandages on standby," she assured him with a smile.

Barry rolled his eyes and sighed, then turned back to the dummy with a resolute stance as a new figure walked in. Sending his curious girlfriend a nod, he approached the dummy just as it took a swing at his head. He ducked a right hook and came back up, leveling a half-dozen speed punches on its midsection with much less force than he'd used the previous day. It didn't budge an inch, but as Lin brought its arms back for two more blows, he avoided those as well, shifting to its blind side and raining down more punches. It threw a left backhand at his head, which he ducked under, using the motion to move back to its front.

A right cross to its head was dodged and countered with a left hook to his right shoulderblade, followed by a right hook to his abdomen. Barry went down with an agonized moan as Cisco and Caitlin winced, the latter rushing to his side with water at the ready.

"I'm pretty sure I just dislocated my shoulder," Barry groaned. A few minutes later, he was still groaning, though this time sitting on a medical berth in the command center as Caitlin gingerly moved his arm to test his range of motion.

"Okay," said Caitlin, "not gonna lie. This is gonna be quick but _extremely_ painful."

"Allen," Lin said, "you've got training with Mako in twenty."

"Oh," he groaned, "speaking of pain." He shifted his legs onto the bed and braced himself for the inevitable agony.

"So," Caitlin said quietly, "yesterday, when you said you were 'off-duty,' what did that mean?"

"I was visiting a friend. He's a researcher. Right now, he's working for the Earth Kingdom on a power project. Brilliant guy. You'd like him."

"You mean Eddie? I met him already."

He gave her a quizzical look.

"The party…two nights ago? I was there, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I— _gaaaah_!"

Caitlin smirked. "And my work is done."

She packed up her bag and walked away as Korra approached him with a sigh. "You've really got to learn to get hit less."

"Oh, shut up," he groaned, pushing himself upright.

The Avatar arched an eyebrow and smirked, crossing her arms. "Make me."

He grinned and dashed toward her in the blink of an eye, quite literally silencing her with his mouth. He pulled away a second later, chuckling at the pout on her face.

"That's _not_ fair," she complained.

"No, what's unfair is the fact that I'm the only one in this relationship who gets to play nurse." He started walking toward the exit as she let out an annoyed huff.

"Well, excuse me if you heal too fast for me to nurse you. Though there was that one time, with Blackout…"

"Oh, don't remind me. Anyway, training awaits, and this time, you get to suffer with the rest of the recruits."

Korra snorted as they climbed into her car. "Come on, I trained in all four elements, not to mention metalbending, which is quite a bit more difficult than earthbending. It can't be _that_ hard."

…

5 hours later

Police HQ, academy level

"Mako…I hate you."

The cop smirked as he crossed his arms and leaned toward a heavily sweating Korra. "That's _Detective_ Mako to you, recruit."

Korra's eyes narrowed as her arms ached from the constant strain of holding a boulder in each hand while balancing a third on the end of one foot. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "Maybe a little. Sure feels like payback for all the headaches you've given _me_ over the years, except I think those lasted a little longer than the soreness in your muscles will." Mako frowned. "Considering you haven't used them much in the last few months though, I could be wrong about that."

Her eyebrows rose. "Does that mean I can stop?"

The cop chuckled and grinned. "Not a chance. You gotta hang with the rest of 'em. Not even the Avatar gets special treatment."

The detective walked off as Korra muttered curses at him under her breath, blue eyes drifting over the cloud of huffing and sweating police recruits before locking on one in particular. Barry was currently climbing a hundred-foot rock wall with eighty pounds strapped to his back. Given his abilities and the way he'd carried her miles at a time, she knew he could do the whole thing in less than a second, but appearances had to be kept. What really got her attention, though, was the way he looked while climbing. His arms were completely exposed by the tank top he wore, wiry muscles bulging slightly and coated in a thin sheen of sweat. A portion of his upper back and toned neck caught her eye as he hefted himself up another two feet.

A slip in his grip brought him to hold onto an outcropping with one hand, a nearby earthbending trainer standing by to catch him should he fall. With his free hand, Barry waved the man off and reached up to put both hands on his tenuous handhold. Using both arms, he hefted himself up a foot and snapped one hand out to reach for a higher perch, managing to get a firm grip and hoist himself to the top at long last.

"All right, time!" Mako shouted, the collective groans and sighs of relief drowning out his laughter as every recruit dumped their loads and slumped to the ground, exhausted. "That's it for today, people. Get some water, get toweled off, and get some lunch. You've earned it. And remember today's lesson: if you come up against somebody you _know_ you can't beat, be smart." He sent a grim look at Korra. "It's okay to run the other way."

A soft murmur answered him as the recruits began to file out, Mako approaching Korra as Barry rejoined her, slinging one arm around her shoulders after toweling off.

"So, what do you think?" Mako asked. "Did you enjoy today's practice?"

She arched an eyebrow, crossing her half-numb arms. "No…but I'll be back, every day. If today taught me anything, it's that I'm gonna have to get a lot stronger before I'm ready to be the Avatar again."

Mako smiled and nodded. "I'm very glad to hear that. Hey Barry, we need you upstairs. Gotta take a closer look at the rig Woodward stole."

Barry nodded. "I'll be right there." He waited until Mako was out of earshot to smile at Korra. "I hate to say I told you so, but…I did tell you."

"Ugh, don't, Bear…just don't." She rubbed her sore shoulders. "Pretty soon, my body's gonna hate me enough that I might just take it out on you."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Fair enough. Anyway, I better get going. See you later." He gave her a quick kiss, then ran off toward his lab.

Korra just shook her head and sighed, then made for her car.

…

Police HQ, impound division

Barry's eyes drifted over the obnoxiously yellow vehicle, its rear bumper dented and front-left door ripped off, several barrels in the back.

"So what do you think?"

He glanced at Mako before motioning toward the jeep. "Judging by the mud and kegs, I'd say he got… _hammered_ , stole a big-ass truck, and went joyriding." He motioned to the barrels. "I bet the kegs are stolen too. Rusty Iron Ale. It's a micro brewed over at—"

"Cabbage Corp. Yeah, I know the place. Let's check it out."

Barry nodded once, turning back to the vehicle and furrowing his brows as he took a closer look at the driver-side floor mat. Several chunks of metal were scattered along the fabric of the mat. He bagged five of them for later analysis, tucking them into his jacket pocket.

…

20 minutes later

Cabbage Corp, Industrial District

Barry and Mako approached a truck with a half-dozen men loading metal barrels identical to the ones in Tony's car. Mako lifted his badge once they caught sight of him.

"RCPD," he said. "Any chance some of your merchandise was stolen last night?"

One, a large man with beefy arms, shook his head and exchanged a look with another on the truck's loading ramp. "No, I don't think so."

The one on the ramp, a pale bearded man, straightened up and gave the cops a once-over, his expression nervous.

"What about this guy?" Mako asked, holding up a ten-month-old photo of Tony Woodward. "Seen him?"

Barry watched both of them closely, noting a bit of tension seep into the ramp loader's frame as he turned his back to them. "You know Tony, don't you?"

Mako caught on and held the photo up as he turned back to them. "Hey." He shook the picture slightly.

They were both caught off-guard when he bolted off the ramp and onto a side street.

"Barry, come on!" Mako yelled, sprinting after him.

Barry followed behind at a normal pace, falling back slightly as he considered his options, then zipping around a corner in front of the fleeing suspect. Time slowed to a crawl when he saw them approach, Mako's face scrunching up in confusion when he saw Barry in front of them. Thinking fast, Allen saw the incoming punch—and let it hit, the suspect tackled and cuffed a second later as he let himself be decked.

"Barry, you okay?"

"Oh, never better."

"Get up," Mako growled at the suspect, hauling him to his feet.

"I didn't do nothin', man!"

"So why'd you run?"

"Look," he pleaded, "it was an accident!"

Mako stared at him for a moment. "What was?"

"Tony fallin', okay? But I swear to god, we didn't kill him."

Barry and Mako exchanged a look before the latter spoke up. "Keep talking."

"About ten months ago, Cabbage Corp started handin' out pink slips. Tony gets his, and…he just snapped. He started beatin' the crap outta the guy. We pulled him off, but then the lights went out, and one of the rails must've snapped, because a second later, he was gone. And the only thing below that rail…was a vat of molten steel. Just…gone."

Mako sighed. "Well, lucky for you, he's still alive."

The man's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"

Ignoring him, Mako turned to Barry. "How'd you get in front of us?"

The CSI shrugged. "Shortcut."

The detective still looked puzzled, but didn't question it as they hauled him away.

…

2 hours later

Republic City, Market District

Asami sat at a table alone, absently sipping a latte as she pored over the police file on Tony Woodward. Frankly, she couldn't believe how extensive his criminal record had gotten. _This was the kid I knew way back when? What happened to the sweet kid who brought me flowers after my mom died?_ Her eyes closed as a sigh left her lips and the coffee shop's door opened with a ring. It wasn't until her eyes perceived an object between them and the streaming sunlight that she looked up and let her jaw drop.

"Tony?"

"Asami," he said with a smirk and a swagger. "Long time no see." He kept walking toward her, letting out a sharp breath. "I gotta say, 'Sami…you look amazing."

She answered hesitantly. "Thanks, Tony. Um, you too."

He glanced down. "Oh, yeah, I keep in shape. Got a gym at my place, been living out in the Dragon Flats, the west side. You should, uh…you should stop by sometime."

Asami's breathing increased in pace. "So, uh…you here for a drink?"

"No, I came to see you."

A chill passed over her. "How did you know I was here?"

"I've been reading up on the Flash," he answered lazily. "Heard he took your friend Korra out for a spin eight months ago, _and_ that he helped her save the city from that wave, figured you knew something about him." He shrugged and motioned to the shop around him. "And this always was your favorite hangout."

Asami's jaw clenched, hand reaching for her purse and the Taser glove she kept there. "Some things never change. And some things do."

Tony arched an eyebrow. "Like the Flash? Some do-gooder Avatar wannabe?" He leaned toward her. "Personally, I don't believe in either of 'em. I think he's a coward… _and_ I happen to know he took a beating yesterday and ran off like a little girl."

The Sato heir fidgeted in her seat as her fingers fit into the glove and he took another step toward her.

"Do you have any idea who leather-boy is?"

Her green eyes narrowed as she shook her head. "No clue." She cleared her throat. "So, if you don't want a drink, you should probably go."

"Actually, I'd prefer to buy _you_ a drink."

Another ragged breath escaped her as her armed hand began to clench.

"What time you available?"

She forced out a chuckle. "Thanks, Tony, but I'm not really looking for a date right now. As a CEO, I've got a lot of responsibilities to manage."

"Never was a fan of responsibility," he drawled, a peeved expression on his face.

Asami glanced down at the file, slowly pulling it off the table as she kept her eyes and smiling face toward him. "Well, I better go. I have a board meeting in fifteen minutes. Should probably call them to let 'em know I'll be late." Her hand slipped out of the Taser glove and wrapped around her earpiece, lifting it from the purse and to her ear.

Which was the exact moment he spotted the file on the table—and his name. "Give me the radio, Asami," he said softly but threateningly. "Now!"

Startled and breathing rather heavily, she handed it over without question, watching in horror as his hand clenched around the device, his entire arm covered in metal as it was crushed into dust.

He dumped it in a nearby ashcan, pursing his lips as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of yuans. "I'm uh, sorry." He dumped the stack on the table. "For the damage." Tony motioned between them. "We'll pick this up some other time."

Without another word, he walked out of the shop, leaving a hyperventilating Asami sitting there shell-shocked. Her head dropped into her hands as pain lanced through her chest. _He's just like Barry described. There's nothing of the Tony I knew. Not anymore._

…

20 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

Barry stared at the dummy Girder with a scowl on his face.

"Barry!" Cisco called.

The speedster faced him.

"The gravel you pulled from Tony's ride contains 76.8 percent hematite, consistent with the mines at Cabbage Corp Ironworks."

"Which closed down ten months ago," Barry added, "the day after Tony disappeared. It's the perfect hideout."

Asami walked into the command center a second after he finished speaking, the CEO's pale face getting the attention of the whole team plus Korra instantly.

"What happened to you?" the Avatar asked.

Asami slumped over in her chair, head in her hands, breathing labored. "He found me." At their confused looks, she added, "Tony. I went out for coffee a half hour ago. Ten minutes after I arrived, he showed up. Tried to ask me out." Another shaky breath. "And he crushed my earpiece with one hand." She looked up at Barry. "Was just like you said. His arm…it was completely encased in metal."

Barry's eyebrows furrowed. "Why would he come to you?"

Asami gulped hard. "Because you weren't the only one of us who knew him during childhood." She played absently with her fingers. "When I first knew him…my mom had just died. My father became…distant. I had no one except the babysitters he hired to watch me while he spent endless hours in his lab. Back in the day, I had gone to a public school…Mom's wishes. Tony was one of my classmates." She grimaced, eyes filling. "He showed up at my house one day, with his parents…gave me these white flowers that smelled like spring." Her eyes closed as liquid spilled out of them. "He was a good kid. Now…I barely recognize him."

Barry's jaw clenched as he and Korra exchanged similar dark looks.

Asami noticed. "Look, rattled as I am, I know he didn't want to hurt me. He wanted to impress me." She looked at Barry. "But he is fixated on _you_ , and _not_ in a good way."

"Do you know where he went?" Barry asked in a low tone.

She shrugged. "He said he had a place out in the West Dragon Flats, bragged about how big it was, but I have no idea where."

His jaw clenched and upper lip twitched. "I do."

Asami rose from her seat as he made for his suit. "Wait! Tony may be violent, but he's not beyond reason. Maybe I can talk to him—"

"No!" Barry roared. "He's too dangerous!" In seconds, he was fully suited up. "I'll be back," he said darkly.

"Wait," Korra said in alarm, "let me come with you. I can provide—"

He was gone before her sentence was finished, earpiece clicking on a few seconds later.

"Dude," Cisco said, "don't run angry. We don't know how to defeat him yet."

He just shut the man out as he kept running, rage building within him as it ignited and supercharged every cell. The Flash made it to the closed-down steel factory in record time, zipping from one corner to another while he searched for his quarry. Barry paused in front of a catwalk, looking up to see the broken rail the witness had mentioned. The vat below was intact, but completely empty, had probably been that way for months. He moved on, striding across the middle of the factory's large expanse as he noticed several empty beer bottles stacked on a former workbench.

The Flash put a finger to his earpiece. "This is definitely the place." He froze as something started itching in the back of his head, prompting him to turn around.

A steel fist smacked into his head the moment he faced the other direction, knocking him back a step as Girder grabbed and threw him into a nearby metal shelf. "You're trespassing, freak!"

Barry hit the shelf with a yell, slumping to the ground as he looked up at Tony, who grabbed a vertical strut of the shelf.

"There's nowhere left to run."

Girder's entire body was then encased in metal as he sent the shelf crashing down on Barry, whose bruised body didn't respond fast enough to dodge as it slammed into him. Stars exploded in his vision and a panicked female voice in his ear before blackness took over.

…

10 minutes later

"Barry?!"

"Barry, where are you?! Caitlin, over here!"

"Barry?" Korra's voice asked in a panic. "Barry, _please_ say something."

A low groan left his lips as he felt the metal shelf being bent off of him. "Ow."

A shuddering breath left her lungs as she chucked the shelf across the building and pulled his battered body from the wreckage and into a crushing embrace. "You idiot!" she cried brokenly. "I told you not to go alone! If I'd been here, I could've—"

"No," a quiet voice interrupted, "you couldn't have."

They looked up to find Asami standing there, a mournful expression on her face as Caitlin began to tend to Barry's wounds.

"When we met earlier…Tony said he didn't believe in either of you. He said it with such disdain. He may be fixated on you, Barry, but that doesn't mean he'll hesitate to kill you either, Korra. And considering you've been out of the field for eight months…" She gulped. "It was better you _weren't_ here." Her expression turned furious as she fixed her narrowed eyes on Barry. "But _you_. What were you thinking? _What were you thinking_?!" she roared.

Barry drew back, jaw dropping.

"I _told_ you that we would figure out a way to deal with him."

The speedster shrugged. "I'll heal."

Her arms crossed as she snarled slightly. "You can't heal when you're dead," she hissed. "He could've killed you."

Barry hissed as he got to his feet and shook off all hands, pacing away from them. "I know, all right?" He rounded on Asami. "I _know_! In the past thirty-six hours, I've had my ass handed to me _twice_ by the guy that tortured me as a kid! I couldn't stop him them, and I can't stop him now! Even with my powers, I'm still—powerless against him." He sighed and strode off.

"Not…necessarily," Asami replied. "Cisco."

The man in question produced a clipboard from his bag, flipping through pages in search of something.

"Any material, if struck at a high enough velocity, can be compromised."

"We ran an analysis on the metal you found in that gravel," Cisco explained. "Based on its density and atomic structure, if you impact it at just the angle, at just the right speed…you can do some serious damage."

Barry stared at him. "How fast would I have to go?"

"Factoring in the metal's tensile strength, estimated dermal thickness, atmospheric pressure, air temp, you'd have to hit him at approximately…" He checked and double-checked his results. "Mach 1.1"

Every pair of eyes in the room shot wide open.

Caitlin spoke up first. "You want Barry to hit something at eight-hundred miles an hour?"

"Eight-hundred thirty-seven, actually."

"That's faster than the speed of sound," she breathed disbelievingly.

"I _know_ ," Cisco replied excitedly. "He would create a sonic boom, which, as I've said before, would be—" he kissed his fingers, "—awesome."

"I've only gone that fast once before," Barry said quietly. "Didn't turn out too well for my legs."

Korra winced at the reminder.

"Yet," Asami said.

"I can't believe we're actually entertaining this idea," Caitlin exclaimed. "I mean, he'd need a straight shot from _miles_ away."

"Yeah," Cisco confirmed. "Five-point-three miles, theoretically."

"Do it right," Asami added, "you'll take him down."

Caitlin approached Barry with fearful eyes. "Do it wrong…you'll shatter _every_ bone in your body."

Barry nodded slowly as Korra gripped his hand tightly. As they walked back to her car and piled in, the Avatar and the Flash took the back seat, the latter's cowl pulled back while she supported his head on her shoulder.

"You okay?" she asked quietly, eyes staring at the passing streetlights.

He nodded against her shoulder. "You?"

A huff left her body. "I don't like being on the other end of those radio links. I hate being stuck miles away while you're in danger, with nothing I can do to alter the outcome either way."

"I know," he replied softly. "And I'll admit, I wasn't thinking clearly when I went off half-cocked like that."

"Why _did_ you go off half-cocked?" Asami asked from his other side.

Barry glanced at her before leaning against Korra even more. "Because he came after you."

Asami blinked hard. "What?"

The speedster sighed and closed his eyes. "Asami, I've been an orphan for the last seven years. Since then, there hasn't been a place I've felt more at home, or people I've felt closer to than you and the team…and Mako." He looked over at her. "You're my family…and you in particular, you've been like a big sister to me." He scowled. "So when any one of my loved ones is threatened, if _anyone_ comes after my family, I _take them down_. No questions, no hesitation." His jaw clenched. "Because no one is ever taking my family from me again."

Asami's expression softened as her eyes closed, a small smile coming to her face. "Come here, Bear."

Slowly, he disengaged himself from Korra and drew closer to the CEO as her slender arms gingerly wrapped around his injured frame, his head tucked under her chin. "Nothing is gonna happen to me, okay? We'll figure this out. I promise."

He held her back, a ragged breath leaving him as he nodded into her chest. "Okay."

…

Next day, afternoon

Police HQ, crime lab

"Hey Barry," Mako called.

The CSI sighed and straightened up from the mag-lens he was bent over, looking over at his friend. "What's up?"

"Eyewitnesses caught Woodward heading out of town in a stolen vehicle. A special United Forces task force is taking over." He sighed. "We lost him."

Barry nodded sullenly. "Don't worry, Mako. They'll catch him."

He snarled slightly. "I wanted to bring this guy down."

"Not half as much as I did," Barry muttered.

They were silent until Mako slapped his shoulder. "Let's go, Bear."

His brows furrowed. "Go where?"

"To blow off some steam. I need to hit something."

Five minutes later found Barry standing in front of Mako, holding the other side of a heavy bag as the firebender rained relentless punches down on the rubber-padded device.

"So I hear you and this Woodward guy have a history," the detective said suddenly.

Barry shot him a look.

He just shrugged. "Relax. Trust me, Bolin and I had our fair share of bullies living on the streets. Triads, rotten cops, even other homeless kids."

"I can believe that."

Mako hammered on the bag a few more times.

"So what'd you do about it?"

He snorted out a laugh. "I got my ass kicked. A lot. Bolin too. But we kept training. I learned how to firebend like a pro, even picked up lightning bending from a Triple Threat I got close to. And then one day, we met Toza, our future pro-bending coach, and everything changed. He took us in, helped us be better, not only as benders, but as human beings." He smiled fondly. "Reminded us there was still hope for humanity, still some good in the world." Mako returned his eyes to Barry, refocusing. "When he was training us, he said, 'The key to fighting is patience.' Here." He grabbed the top of the bag and held it in place.

"A lot of guys waste energy trying to land the most punches," Mako explained. "All it takes is one—but you gotta make it count." He held the bag firmly, using his body as a brace. "Choose your spot, and drive through it, like it's six inches behind the target."

Barry shrugged and raised his hands into a fighting position, then put a light cross on the bag.

"Harder."

He smirked and drove a much stronger punch into the bag, actually shifting it in Mako's grip a few inches.

"Harder," the detective repeated.

Barry let out an audible breath as he focused on the bag, seeing Tony's face flash in his vision as an angry yell came from his throat. And he quite literally drove _through_ the target. Mako stumbled back several steps as he coughed, sand leaking out of the ruptured bag. Barry slowly pulled his fist out of the hole.

"Seam was starting to split," he lied.

"Guess you got some decent upper-body strength after all," the detective teased.

"Enough to clock you one if you keep makin' cracks like that."

With another cough, Mako straightened up and smiled as they exchanged a laugh.

…

Sato Estate

Asami kept performing calculation after calculation as her eyelids began to droop with exhaustion. Closing them briefly, she rubbed them with her fingers, her vision going cross-eyed when they opened. A frustrated groan came from her lips as she straightened up and leaned back in her chair, used and crumpled papers strewn around her home office from every projection of what Cisco deemed the "supersonic punch." By every calculation, at every angle, there was absolutely no possibility he could survive the impact in one piece—or at all, for that matter. Her head was buried in her hands while a tired sigh left her lungs.

Asami forced a gulp through her dry throat, rising from the chair to make for her bedroom. Maybe a nap would clear her head, give her a proper solution that wouldn't get her friend killed. She passed a window that overlooked the rest of the manor, stopping in her tracks when something off passed through her peripheral vision. When she turned to face it, her eyes widened and jaw dropped, hand coming up to cover her mouth. The front guardhouse was demolished, and even at this distance, she could see a dozen of her servants strewn across the grounds, some with limbs at odd angles.

She turned for the stairs only to stop instantly, a large wall of a man in her way.

"Hey, 'Sami. Why don't we go for a little drive?"

Cold fear filled her veins as she shrunk back, hoping against hope that she was wrong.

…

20 minutes later

Future Industries airship, FI Airfield

"What happened?"

Cisco looked up at the newly arrived couple. "The Sato Estate…it's been attacked. Police are on the scene now, and guys—Asami's missing."

Barry's heart dropped like a rock as Korra went through the same sensation. "How long ago?"

"By the reports of the servants not in the hospital, about twenty minutes."

"So he couldn't have gotten far," Korra said quietly.

He could see the beginnings of a panic attack starting to form in the Avatar, and vibrated his hand against her back in response. She turned toward and leaned into him, hands fisting in his shirt as she desperately tried to anchor herself.

"We need to find this guy," Barry growled. " _Now_."

Cisco nodded resolutely as Caitlin stayed by the radio, monitoring police bands for any activity.

Barry turned back to his hyperventilating girlfriend. "We'll get her back. I promise."

Suddenly, her breathing normalized and features twisted in fury. "We will," she replied resolutely, eyes darkening. "And when we do, I'll make sure that worthless piece of tin will never harm anyone again."

"We both will," he agreed with a nod.

…

Zuko Elementary, Residential District

Asami winced as she was half-dragged through the door of her old school, the arm Tony's hand was clamped around starting to lose feeling below the forearm.

"You remember this place, Asami?"

She snorted. Of course she did. "So what's the plan here, Tony? You finally gonna go for your diploma?"

He smirked. "You want a plan? How's this? Future Industries, all that money and tech, given to one self-righteous jackass after the next—the United Forces, the Avatar, the Flash—you're gonna spend it all on me now."

Asami's eyes narrowed as she scowled and crossed her arms. "You just abducted me, injuring—if not _killing —_ over a dozen of my servants in the process. Why the _hell_ would I do that?"

He shrugged his arms to the sides. "It's just us here. And I can do whatever the hell I want with you. 'Cause the cops can't stop me. Your Avatar friend? The frigging cripple? Yeah, she's _still_ not up to speed." He leaned closer. "And the Flash…is _dead_. Squashed like a little bug by me, so if you don't want the same thing to happen to you, you're gonna help me tell the whole world that there's a new _big man on campus_!"

She got up in his face, snarling out her next words, furious and tired of being threatened and manhandled. "Well, I know for a _fact_ that he _isn't_ , _jackass_ , so you can take your empty threats all the way to hell!"

Tony blinked once, smiling sinisterly as he took a step back and crossed his arms. "So you know that…for a _fact_?"

Asami felt a chill run up her spine as she realized she'd said too much.

"You _do_ know who he is, dontcha?" Tony smirked and shook his head slowly.

"Why are you doing this? Why me?"

He shrugged. "Because I like you, 'Sami. Always have."

And finally, she saw an opportunity. The Sato heir let a smile spread over her features, desire written all over her face as she sauntered toward him. "You should've said something." When her face was six inches from his, and she saw a triumphant smirk make its way to his face, one came to hers—as her right hand flew up to hit the school's fire alarm. Bells rang across the empty hallways as she bolted for the door, an iron grip stopping her in her tracks and yanking her into a wall as she shrieked.

"Try anything like that again," he yelled, "and I'm gonna leave more than a bruise!"

Asami squeezed her eyes shut as the pain in her arm increased, praying that someone found that alarm in time to save her from this maniac. She didn't know how much longer she could stall for time.

…

Future Industries Airfield

"Hey," Caitlin called, "I got something! Police are reporting a fire alarm at Zuko Elementary."

Korra's eyes went wide. "That's the school Asami went to before her mother died." She exchanged a look with Barry, who nodded and made for his suit. "You're taking me with you this time." When he hesitated, she added, "The last time you tried to take on Girder alone, he nearly killed you. Asami's not gonna be much help against someone like him, and if all else fails, I can metalbend his second skin right off his body."

Barry blinked several times, then nodded before speeding into his suit. He lifted Korra off the ground a second later. "Ready?"

Her hands shook for a moment before wrapping around his neck. She nodded. "Ready."

"We'll be monitoring you from the sky. Good luck, guys," Cisco said worriedly. "And give him a few broken bones for me."

Barry nodded once before taking off into the night.

…

Zuko Elementary

Asami watched in blank horror as Tony stared at an old photo of his younger self holding a wrestling trophy. "Tony, just turn yourself in. It's not too late."

"Yes it is. Cops already think I caused that earthquake a couple months back."

"Did you?"

He smirked and looked down at her. "Oh yeah. Couple a guys came up to me two months ago, told me they had one job, worth ten thousand yuans, said it needed my particular skill set. Came to find out it involved droppin' me from a zeppelin at eight thousand feet so I could ram into the seafloor and cause the biggest quake in Republic City's history." His chest puffed up. "And it worked."

"Almost," she corrected. "The wave that quake created? The one that was supposed to destroy half the city? It was stopped. By the _Flash_." Her green eyes narrowed. "And he's gonna stop you too."

Tony smiled malevolently. "I seriously doubt that…but even if you're right, I ain't goin' down without a fight."

A gust of wind entered the hallway, blowing Asami's hair away from her face as she looked toward the source, nearly fainting in relief to see Barry's red-clad form there.

"Good," the speedster shouted, "because you just found one!"

Girder huffed once. "You just won't stay dead. You're one stubborn son of a bitch, I'll give you that." He waved to Asami. "Come to save your little fangirl?"

She could see Barry's jaw tighten as his right fist did the same. "This is between _us_. Let her go."

"I could," Tony replied with a shrug as he dumped her on the ground behind him, "but I'd rather make her watch while I break every bone in your body."

His body was completely encased in metal in less than a second, Asami breathing heavily as Barry rushed him. Girder took a swing at his speeding form with a wild haymaker, but the speedster fell into a slide that sent him right between his legs. The Flash's strong arms wrapped around Asami's frame as she left the ground, Barry speeding her to the far end of the hallway and laying her down.

"Stay here," he ordered before running back to face off with Girder.

Tony took another swing at him, which Barry ducked and shuffled around, getting behind him and literally kicking his ass, sending him stumbling forward several steps.

"Too slow, tin man," he taunted.

Several more blows were thrown and dodged as Barry danced and weaved around his opponent, making him wear himself out.

"I've known guys like you," Barry said. "Peaked in high school, never got over it. All these powers and look at you." He snarled. "Bully then, bully now."

Before Tony could respond, he sprinted over to a nearby flagpole and yanked it off its mountings, then swung it at Girder's head fast enough to cave in the front of a car. Tony snapped his head back just enough to let it graze his metal face, his left hand catching the end of the pole as he glared at the Flash. A growl proceeded from his throat as he grabbed the pole with both hands, then swung hard, slamming Barry into one wall after the next.

"No!" Asami shouted, wanting desperately to do _something_. Without her electric glove, though, there was no way she could do anything without damaging herself in the process.

When Girder finally dumped Barry on the ground, he approached the speedster with a taunting smirk on his face. Even from a side angle, though, she could see Barry's return smirk. Asami stared at him, confused, until he shouted, "Now!"

And then a side door—right next to Tony—burst open, Korra's blue-clad figure storming through on an air scooter as Girder wheeled toward the new threat. He swung toward her head, but a sudden gust of wind brought her over his in a midair somersault, the Avatar landing in a crouch and lunging toward him with a yell, both palms outstretched as they slammed into his chest hard. For a few deafeningly silent moments, nothing happened. And then the most terrifying thing of all happened.

Girder began to chuckle. One laugh after the next bubbled out of his throat until they were booming down the hallways. He leaned down toward a stunned Korra. "Nice try, girlie. I gotta say, that's the first time anyone's attempted that." He shrugged. "Good to know it doesn't work. Thanks."

A solid backhand sent her flying across the hallway into a wall.

"No!" Barry and Asami yelled in tandem, the former shifting his gaze back to Tony when he approached once again.

Girder's arms flexed as his fist was cradled in his palm. "Now, where were we?"

…

 _This isn't happening._

It couldn't be. After all these months, after all those battles, there was no way he and the freaking Avatar were going out like this. Truthfully, though, Barry didn't know what he could do. Before they'd left, Barry and Korra had been told by Cisco and Caitlin that every scenario where he tried the supersonic punch ended with him either dead or in the ICU for six months, probably never to walk again. As time slowed to a crawl in his perception, a voice from the previous day flitted through his consciousness.

 _"Remember…if you come up against somebody you know you can't beat, be smart. It's okay to run the other way."_

He spied Korra's writhing body, then looked back at a horrified Asami. There was no way he'd be able to take them both at once, not in his condition, and he doubted Girder would give him a second shot at the other. He had to choose which to save. Within a split-second, his choice was made, and he was out the door, his girlfriend's groaning form slung over his shoulder.

…

Tony snorted as the double-doors of the school slammed closed in the wake of the Flash's high-speed exit, then turned back to Asami. "There goes your 'hero.'"

Asami's eyes narrowed as her jaw clenched. In all reality, Barry's choice made perfect sense. Out of the two girls, Asami was the one most likely to survive if left with Girder, and if he thought he still needed her, she could still stall for time, maybe long enough for them to organize a rescue. As he started for her with a stony expression, though, she began to have her doubts, physically restraining a scream as her blood filled with fear and adrenaline.

…

Cisco and Caitlin watched from the airship as Barry's lightning-trailed form sped out of the school. Cate's eyebrows furrowed when no more lightning was seen after a certain point, narrowing her eyes as she produced a spyglass and spotted his form setting Korra down on the side of the road.

"Why did he stop?" she asked, confused.

"He's miles away," Cisco said absently, features shifting as he performed a quick calculation. "Five-point- _three_ miles away."

Caitlin and Cisco exchanged a look, his excited, hers horrified.

…

"Barry? Barry, what are you doing?"

The Flash looked straight at an anxious Korra with a tightened jaw. "Protecting my family," he responded.

 _"Fighting is about patience."_

Barry turned back toward the school as he took several deep breaths.

" _A lot of guys waste energy trying to land the most punches."_

He let his body relax as oxygen filled his system, his hands relaxing and fingers splaying outward as his eyes closed in focus.

 _"All it takes is one—but you have to make it count."_

Righteous fury built in his blood as he let it fill him to the brim.

 _"Choose your spot, and drive through it, like it's six inches behind the target."_

Ice-blue eyes snapped open as his vision zeroed on the school.

 _How about six_ feet _?_

Barry's jaw clenched as he took and forced out one last deep breath, lightning dancing in his eyes before he took off like a lightning bolt.

"Barry, wait," Caitlin warned in his ear.

"No way," Cisco said, "he's gonna do it!"

The city lights faded to golden blurs around the Flash as he sped past cars, buildings, people, everything else that was just noise.

"Go, man, go!"

His legs moved faster and faster, a vision of a tidal wave and Korra in its path flashing through his mind as he kept accelerating at a massive rate. Glass shattered in the windows he shot past, cars honking as they too were damaged by the enormously strong gust left in his wake. The hallway filled his mind's eye, his lightning-fast mind calculating Girder's approximate location as he saw Asami's cowering form huddled in a corner. Asami Sato—his big sister. A growl built in his throat as he sped past one block after the next, his velocity increasing by massive amounts as he felt the same mental block from the day of the attacks lift once again.

His legs began to hit the ground at a rate fast enough to begin cracking the asphalt—which they did a second after a deafening crack split the night as he passed the speed of sound.

…

As Tony closed to fifteen feet, Asami heard the crack of thunder approaching and let her eyes widen. _Oh spirits…he's actually—_

Girder turned toward the exit instantly, his body instantly encased in metal as he waited for his opponent to arrive.

 _One way or another, Tony…you're going down for good this time._

…

Finally, Zuko Elementary was within sight, the Flash never slowing down a bit even as he shot toward the doors, blowing straight through them as they flew off their hinges with the force of his entry. Lightning danced off his form as he flew through the air, feet off the ground to keep his momentum as his right fist cocked back. An enraged roar left his throat as he barreled toward Girder, the distance closing almost instantly in real-time. He, however, used his enhanced perception to line up the perfect shot.

The moment he was within optimal range, he struck, his fist shooting out at a massive speed, adding a few more mph to the strike as his knuckles smashed into the side of Tony's metal-encased skull. Immediately, he was aware of several things. One: his hand, wrist, and arm felt like they'd just been sledgehammered—repeatedly. Two: another deafening crack had filled the air from the impact. And three: the iron skin encapsulating Girder's body had just shattered—completely. The two metahumans hit the ground hard, both flying toward the far end of the hallway as they squealed to a stop on the tiled floor.

Barry groaned in pain as he saw Tony pushing himself up to his feet, himself barely able to move. It looked like even standing was a chore for Girder, too, since his head kept lolling to the side. That is, until a smaller fist smashed his jaw and knocked him out cold. Asami stumbled past Tony's unconscious form into a wall backfirst, her right hand clutched in her left.

"Nice cross," he complimented painfully.

"I think I broke my hand," Asami groaned.

"Oh…me too."

The pair looked at each other for a second before breaking out into raucous, adrenaline-powered laughter.

"Cisco, you read me?"

"Right here, Bear."

Barry grinned as he eyed Tony's body. "We got the son of a bitch."

…

2 hours later

Police HQ

"He'll be transferred to a platinum cell immediately. Rest assured, this one's never gonna see the light of day again."

The Flash nodded his thanks to Chief Beifong as he cradled his slung right arm, then sped off into the night. He arrived at the airfield minutes later, pulling off the sling and tossing it carelessly as he tested his arm for defects. Feeling no immediate pain, he strode through the door of the lab to find Korra and Asami laughing with Cisco and Caitlin. Pulling back his cowl, Barry smiled and joined them, taking a seat next to his girlfriend and taking her hand in his. She gave him a smile before turning back to the group, the speedster content with the silence as he held his girlfriend's hand.

Five minutes later, a round of quiet laughter rung through the group as they heard Barry's snores against Korra's shoulder.

…

30 minutes later

Cabbage Corp steel factory, Dragon Flats district

"Any particular reason we're here, Chief?"

"This was Girder's old hideout, detective. Just performing our due diligence."

Mako nodded as he sipped his coffee, striding across the large, open room to stare up at the vat. He made his way upstairs while a few other uniformed officers filed away one beer bottle after the next, reaching the catwalk and walking across at a sedated pace, Lin next to him. When they reached the broken railing, Mako crouched down and sighed. His amber eyes flickered to the mug in his hand when he saw movement, jaw dropping slightly as the brown liquid inside began to defy gravity and lifted straight out of his cup in an amorphous pattern. It dropped back down again a few seconds later.

"Hey," he called to the other cops, "any waterbenders down there been messing with my coffee?"

"What?" they called back.

Mako huffed. "Never mind." His head shook as his eyes returned to the coffee, nothing else out of the ordinary happening. "Weird, huh Chief?" He looked up at Chief Beifong, missing the horrified look she sent at his cup.

"Yes…very."

* * *

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Supersonic: start-0:52—"Made it out" to supersonic punch; Dr. Wells Has Secrets: 1:40-end—post-investigation at Cabbage Corp to end of chapter


	15. Reversed

Reversed (adj.): to be turned the other way around, up, or inside out; to be made opposite.

2 days later

8:35 PM

Cabbage Corp steel factory, Dragon Flats district

8 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"So, any word on exactly why we're still here, two days after that Girder guy got tossed in the slammer?"

"No idea. Nothin' solid, at least. Chief said she wanted us to take a closer look at the area around the catwalk, specifically that broken rail."

"Then let's get to it. I got a dinner date, and my lady don't like bein' stood up."

Two crime scene investigators were accompanied by a single metalbender as they entered the defunct factory, the guard leaning against a nearby metal pillar as the two scientists did their work for several minutes.

"Still don't see what the big deal is about—oh spirits…"

"What? What are you—oh."

When the metalbender looked to see what had gotten their attention, his eyes widened as well. The liquid they had been about to use to check for chemical spills began floating without reason, hanging suspended midair next to the shattered railing of the catwalk. The metalbender took a step toward the structure to get a closer look, but the moment he did, rainfall that had seeped in from earlier in the day and puddled around the damaged building began to levitate as well. The cop's instincts went on overdrive as he took a ready stance, every light in the room going out.

"Stay back!" he shouted, eyes scanning the dark building for any signs of movement.

When he finally found some, his response was delayed by barely a second due to shock. A second was long enough.

Red lightning lit up the factory as it streaked toward the three police officers, the metalbender's first cable attack flying right past its source as the lightning circled him once. It then split off toward the catwalks, diverted when the cop bent a metal girder between it and the scientists. It arced back toward him with incredible speed, the earth pillars he threw up as a barrier twirled around and dodged until it closed the distance. A crack sounded, and the sounds of earth and metalbending came to a stop as the CSIs warily peered over the edge of the catwalk, their vision obscured by the earth walls in their way.

A loud whirring sound reached the ears of one a second before he heard wet, incoherent sputtering from the other. When he turned toward his comrade with a horrified expression, he looked up to see something that trapped his scream in his throat. A single pair of glowing red eyes bore into his as red lightning danced around the body of their host, which was little more than a shadowed yellow blur. The man froze in place, body shaking violently for a few seconds before the red-eyed monstrosity vanished in a flash of lightning. When breath finally entered his lungs in gigantic heaves, the CSI looked down at his dead partner, then to the railing to find that every scrap of equipment and data they'd collected was gone.

…

20 minutes later

"How's he doing?"

Mako gave the chief a look and shook his head. "Not good. Hasn't stopped shaking since he called it in, and he's barely spoken to anyone besides."

"Watching two people get murdered right in front of you can do that," Barry remarked solemnly.

"Let's see what he knows," Beifong said with a wave toward the witness.

They strode over, keeping a comfortable distance to avoid alarming him.

"Hey, Chet," the fellow CSI greeted softly, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

The other scientist smiled slightly and gave him a greeting nod. "Hey, Barry."

"How you feelin'? You feelin' okay?"

Chet's head shook slowly. "No. No I'm not." He stared at his shaking hands for several seconds. "Two hours ago, life was simple. I went to crime scenes, I performed analysis. That's it. I wasn't…thrown into the line of fire, for frick's sake!"

Lin and Mako shot Barry a look.

Chet let out a long breath, lacing his fingers through his hair.

"Just tell me what happened," Mako said softly.

The CSI gulped hard and nodded. "It was uh…around eight-thirty when we got here. We got to work immediately, took some samples of the metal on that broken railing. Something felt off about the way the metal seam had been broken, so we tried to test it for chemical defects. The moment we uncapped the solution, it started floating."

"Like my coffee," Mako said.

Barry shot him a look, then turned his eyes to a tense Lin.

"And then," Chet continued, "two seconds later, every liquid in the _building_ lifted off the ground. Our guard…Ling, he knew somethin' was off immediately. Tried to secure the room." His breathing increased in pace. "I've never seen anything move that fast. It was like…you blink, and you miss it."

Barry's eyes widened slightly.

"All I could see after the lights went out was…lightning…following this yellow blur. Ling…he tried to fight it, went down first, I guess." He nodded over at a second body bag next to an ambulance. "My partner was killed next, like three seconds later." Chet let out a shuddering breath. "Thought it was gonna kill me too…but it didn't. It just…stared." A horrified look crossed over his face. "Those eyes…" He pressed his palms to his own. "I can't get those damned eyes out of my head."

Barry put a calming hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Chet, you're safe. Just get through this, and you can go home."

The scientist gulped and blinked several times, nodding. "After…after Milo…you know…it stood there for a few seconds, then left. I didn't realize what it'd done until a few seconds later. The equipment, the samples, the whole damn rail was gone. Whatever evidence we'd gathered was gone."

Lin nodded slowly. "All right. Thank you very much. Detective, I'd like you to take this man home."

"Yes, Chief. Come on, sir."

He escorted Chet to his squad car, driving away a minute later as Barry frowned and stared at the closed body bags.

"Something wrong, Allen?"

Barry felt his upper lip twitch as he turned toward Chief Beifong. "Couple things, actually. You never told me about what you'd found here, or the fact that you assigned a forensics team to investigate further."

Lin crossed her arms. "If I'd told you, you would've insisted on being a part of the forensics detail."

"You're damn right I would," he growled. "The last time something like that was witnessed was the night my parents died. I had a _right_ to know!"

Beifong flinched at his tone, sending warning looks to the cops who began to stare. "I wasn't sure of anything, Allen. It could've been a freak event, a one-time occurrence. I didn't want to get you invested in something that could've been a hoax."

Barry's head shook, his jaw tightening. "Doesn't matter. I'm the only one with experience with this kind of event."

"Which is why we needed a fresh pair of eyes," she replied, lowering her voice. "An objective observer, not an emotional metahuman with a personal stake in the case that would've distracted and damaged you."

He got up in her face, lowering his voice by the same degree. "Maybe if you'd been less concerned about my mental health and more about the case, _that_ wouldn't have happened." He pointed sharply at the body bags, letting the words hang in the air for a few moments as Lin's jaw tightened. Barry let out a long breath as his eyebrows furrowed. "Something doesn't add up, though."

"What?"

He looked at the bags, arms crossed. "Why weren't there three bodies?"

"Come again?"

Barry's head shook. "He took the equipment, and the evidence, and killed two of the cops assigned to analyze the scene. If he was trying to cover his tracks, why didn't he kill all three?"

Lin's green eyes widened slightly. "He wanted a witness. He _wanted_ someone to see him."

The speedster crouched next to the bodies. "This wasn't a cover-up. It was a message. The man in yellow…after seven years…he _wants_ to be found."

"Why do I find that far more disturbing than a cover-up?"

Barry's jaw clenched. "You're not the only one."

…

Next day

Presidential palace, Republic City

"Ma'am, you can't go in there!"

Lin shoved the receptionist aside and slammed through the double-doors of President Raiko's office, where the man himself was meeting with several city officials. "Pardon me for interrupting, sir," she said sharply, "but do you mind explaining _this_?" She tossed a newspaper onto his desk, hands on her hips as she glared at the shorter man.

Raiko cleared his throat and looked toward the officials. "Let's continue this later, gentlemen." He waited until they had all filed out of the room to address the slightly snarling Beifong. "Now Lin—"

"'President calls for the Flash's arrest'?" she interrupted incredulously. "Are you _serious_?"

He sighed, pulling off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "The sole surviving witness reported seeing a blur at the scene of the crime. A blur that murdered two police officers, then stole evidence. Both are serious crimes."

"That the Flash did _not_ commit."

"According to you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

Raiko rose from his chair and sighed, striding over to look out the window. "Since we discovered his existence, the Flash has always been a wild card. An uncontrolled variable. He answers to no one, and thus far, no one's been able to catch more than a glimpse of him. No one, that is…except you." He turned to face Lin with narrowed eyes. "You know who he is, don't you? You have from day one." He leaned on his desk with both hands. "So tell me. Who is he, really? What is it about this man that makes you so sure you can trust him?

Her arms crossed. "I'm not at liberty to say."

Raiko's eyes widened slightly. "I am giving you a direct order as your commander-in-chief, Beifong. Tell me the Flash's identity."

Lin's jaw clenched. "I'm afraid I can't tell you what I don't know, sir. I may have been the first to know of his existence, but that doesn't mean I know who's behind the mask." She took a step toward him. "And even if I did…I wouldn't tell you."

Shock was written all over his face.

"You're looking to turn this situation into a witch hunt to save face before you know all the facts, and whether I know him personally or not, I refuse to let an innocent man go through that kind of needless abuse."

"You don't know that he's innocent."

"Actually, I do." She slapped a police file on his desk containing the report of the incident. "The same witness that you cited? You conveniently left out a few details regarding his testimony, specifically the fact that he saw a _yellow_ blur that night."

Raiko arched an eyebrow. "And?"

Lin's eyes narrowed and head tipped threateningly. "The Flash wears _red_. And even if he didn't, the lightning, the energy trailing behind the killer's movements was _red_ , while numerous eyewitness accounts of the Flash report _gold_ lightning. I don't think he can change _that_ part of his appearance, do you?"

The president blinked hard, his face impassive.

"So, either you read a different report from mine, or you're deliberately reporting misinformation to prevent from looking incompetent. Either way, this course of action—is _unacceptable_." Lin turned to leave, but stopped in the doorway. "And if you think any of my officers will comply with an order to condemn a man who's saved some of them personally without adequate evidence, then you've got another thing coming." She tipped her head in a mock bow. "Sir."

…

2 hours later

Police HQ

By lunchtime, Lin, Barry, and Mako had seen Raiko's response. On citywide television, the president formally introduced an anti-Flash task force assembled from some of the military's finest investigators, independent of the police with authority that superseded even Lin's.

"He can't do this," Mako whispered.

"Apparently," Lin hissed through her teeth, "he just did." She turned to Mako. "Detective, I want you to handpick a team of detectives. I want you working around the clock to find this yellow blur and stop him. Do whatever it takes. The president wants to take the easy way out? Fine. Then we're gonna drag the truth into the light kicking and screaming."

He saluted sharply, features set in determination. "Yes, Chief." Mako left promptly, a hardness to his step that spoke of ironclad resolve.

Barry turned back to Beifong. "Chief…what should I be doing right now?"

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Your job. Your _real_ job. If anything pops up that forensics can help with, I want you there, but for now, the Flash needs to stay off the scene. Can't afford to add fuel to an already stoking fire."

He nodded slowly, then turned toward the door of her office when the sounds of angry voices reached his ears. "What's going on out there?"

Lin's brows furrowed as she rose from her desk. "I don't know."

They entered the bullpen together to see four members of the new task force barging through, pushing past a cluster of cops that tried to stop them.

"You can't just shove your way in here!" one of the cops shouted.

"Actually," the leader replied smugly, "I _can_. Says so right here." He held up a paper containing the official seal of the president.

"Let me see that," Lin ordered, snatching the sheet from the captain's hand and scowling.

Barry looked over her shoulder, paling when he saw the terms of the writ. It gave the new task force full and unfettered access to all police resources, including manpower _and_ evidence. Lin had told him Raiko suspected her of knowing more than she let on, but by the look on her face, not even _she_ had expected him to go behind her back like this. As his mind rushed at lightning speed, a horrified realization hit Barry. _If they can access all the evidence in this place…then that means—_

He exchanged a look with Lin, the fear in his eyes and apprehension in hers indicating they had the same thought. _The recording._

"If you're done admiring the parchment, Chief," the captain began smugly, "we'd like to get to work now. Mind havin' one of your officers escort us to evidence, please?"

The police chief scowled at the man with narrowed eyes, fingers tightening hard enough to cause small tears in the paper as she started to hand it back. Mako grabbed it before the captain could.

"Hang on a sec, Chief," he said in a sly tone. "Lemme see that." The detective inspected the paper for a few seconds with a critical eye, both Barry and Lin wondering what he was up to until he shook his head with a disappointed air. "Nope. This thing's invalid."

The task force captain blinked hard. "What?" he growled.

Mako tapped the page with his index. "This isn't the president's signature. Seal's not even right."

"That's impossible," the captain protested.

"No, look. See?" Mako angled the paper into his view, just five inches from his face.

A second later, the entire page was engulfed in flames and turned to ash, the heat from the fire singeing the captain's eyebrows off as he withdrew.

"Whoops," Mako chuckled sheepishly. "My fault. Guess I don't quite have the control I thought." He let out another small chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head, every cop in the station holding back laughter as a vein in the captain's forehead bulged.

"You," he hissed angrily, "you will regret this."

When the captain attempted to push inside the station, Lin herself blocked his way with a firm hand on his chest. "I'm sorry, Captain, but accident or no, without proper written authorization, you have no more authority or access here than a civilian."

"What?!" he roared incredulously. "But he just—"

Lin just arched an eyebrow.

The captain got up in her face. "You think you're pretty smart, don't you? I'll tell you this, though, _Chief_. We _will_ catch the Flash, with or without your help, and when we do, he's gonna sing like a little bird, ratting you, and anyone else who knows him, out. You'll be stripped of your title, your position, _and_ your freedom, all because you refused to rat out a bad egg." His cold blue eyes narrowed. "Sure you can live with that?"

Beifong got her face right back in his. "Let me tell you something about the Flash. If you somehow _do_ manage to find him, and attempt to capture him, you won't succeed. What's more, he's gonna make the lot of you look like you're standing _still_ with how easy it's gonna be. And though it won't be necessary, in the three to five seconds it'll take to neutralize your little team, he's gonna play a _very_ humiliating prank on you idiots, just for kicks…and make sure at least a dozen photos of it get into the papers." She smiled nastily. "You sure _you_ can live with _that_?"

The captain snarled at her, nostrils flaring.

"No snappy comeback? Good." Her arms crossed, a scowl returning to her face. "Now get the hell out of my station."

The task force left with a series of angry huffs, the sounds of cheers following them out the door as Barry stared at Lin with unabashed awe. She turned to the rest of the cops once they were gone.

"All right, everyone. They'll be back, so let's get back to work. They think they can do our job better than us. Let's prove them wrong."

"Yes, ma'am!" they chorused, the bullpen alive with activity enough to put a scorpion beehive to shame.

Slowly, she turned to Barry, who was still standing there with his mouth hanging open. "We protect our own," she said quietly, a hand on his shoulder. "Now, I want you to go to lunch with your girlfriend, see if you can't relax a bit while I take care of some…evidence that needs to be squared away."

Barry sighed in relief, releasing a ragged breath as he nodded. "Thank you, Chief."

Lin gave him a small smile, then strode off toward the evidence locker as Barry walked out the door.

…

Republic City, Market District

"Do you believe this crap? Because I don't."

Asami sighed as her best friend scowled into her food. "I'll admit, I'm frustrated too, but—"

"Frustrated?" Korra asked incredulously. "How about damned _infuriated_?! Does Raiko have _any_ idea who it is he's hunting? Or does he just not care?" She huffed as she slumped in her seat. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this. He hates _me_ too."

Asami shrugged. "I won't argue with you there."

"I have half a will to go up to that snazzy palace of his and give him a piece of my mind."

"You certainly could, but I wouldn't recommend it."

Korra snorted. "What is he gonna do, arrest me? He'd be violating about six different free speech laws, and besides, it's not like he can hate me any more than he already does."

"True, but as a playwright once wrote, 'The lady doth protest too much.'"

The Avatar arched a confused eyebrow. "Huh?"

"It means that by protesting his actions so strongly, you'd be casting suspicion on yourself. He'd have people watching you around-the-clock, and on the offchance one of them sees something they shouldn't—"

"They could discover Barry's identity." Korra sighed. "Was just a thought." She sulked for a few more minutes before the door of the restaurant jingled open, admitting a sullen-looking scientist. The Avatar immediately rose from her seat and met him before he could get halfway to her table, her arms wrapping tightly around his midsection as her face pressed into his neck. "I'm so sorry, Bear."

With a ragged sigh, he held her back, taking a deep breath as he formed his words. "Thanks, Korra. I'm just…havin' a really rough day."

She nodded into his shoulder as they moved back to their table, sitting side-by-side as their fingers intertwined. "None of this can be easy. First finding out that two people have been murdered by the same thing that tried to kill you, then Raiko decides to blame it on the Flash, and now this stupid task force…I don't blame you for being out of sorts."

Barry's head tilted. "You wanna know the worst part?"

She looked up at him.

"The man in yellow…I've been looking for any sign of him since that night seven years ago." His head shook slowly. "I've always known, since then, that he was responsible for my parents' deaths. I mean, two attempts on my life in one night, from two separate entities? Way too similar to be coincidence. And now that I finally have a chance to catch him, to make him pay for everything he's done…I can't, because if I'm seen in public as the Flash, this task force is just gonna get in my way. Or worse, they'll get in _his_." He frowned. "And I can't stop _him_ if I have to protect _them_ too."

He gave Korra and Asami a look, chuckling humorlessly. "You probably think I sound crazy. Thinking about protecting people who are hunting me."

"No," Asami replied softly with a smile. "I think you sound like…you. Whether they're on your side or not, you see those men and women as innocents, and your job, your _purpose_ , is to protect people like that."

"If Raiko could see you now," Korra remarked, "he'd think twice." She snorted. "Though maybe not. He always _was_ a useless blockhead."

Asami sighed but didn't dispute the statement. "On another note, I've been having Cisco and Caitlin compile reports on supersonic events across the city since last night."

Barry straightened up. "You've been trying to find him."

"Or at least get a general idea of where he might be holed up. Thus far, there's been little to no activity on that front, but if that changes, you'll be the first to know."

He nodded and sighed hard, leaning his head against Korra's shoulder when she looped an arm around his shoulders.

"Anyway," Asami began, "I better get going. I've got a board meeting in ten, and I should probably check on Cisco and Caitlin anyway. See you later."

The couple gave her a nod, then sat quietly for a while.

"How are you doing?" Barry asked suddenly.

Korra arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm not the one being hunted."

"No, but you're still taking this personally."

She snorted and looked out the window. "Frankly, I'm less disturbed by Raiko's actions and more disturbed that I couldn't metalbend two nights ago."

Barry's brows furrowed. "What?"

"Girder. In the school."

He blinked. "Oh. Yeah, that _was_ really weird. Maybe there was something in his technique that…limits the ability of others to bend the metal he's covered in. I dunno. He's the iron skin's creator, and even _he_ was surprised at the fact that you failed."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. It's just…even when I tried to intervene, when I tried to do my job…I did nothing."

"It was an all-or-nothing play, Korra. You can't blame yourself."

Korra shot him a doe-eyed look. "How are you always this patient with me?"

Barry mock sighed as he looped his arms around her midsection. "Because you're my girlfriend. No more explanation needed." A wry chuckle bubbled from his throat. "Besides, you already have so little patience with yourself. Someone's gotta pick up the slack."

The Avatar huffed out a laugh as she held his arms and cuddled into his embrace. "Bear," she said softly.

"Yes?"

"You've always been so good to me."

He chuckled. "Yes?"

"And I've been such a jerk."

"Sometimes," he admitted lightly.

"And you always gave me a second chance."

"Is this confession going somewhere?" he asked flippantly, yelping out a laugh when she smacked his arm.

"I was _going_ to say that I was thinking of doing something special for the Victory Day celebration."

"Victory Day, meaning the date Avatar Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai?"

"Mhm."

He held her closer, breathing in the heady oceanic scent of her hair. "What'd you have in mind?"

"A trip out of town. I was thinking of visiting the South Pole, taking you to meet my family."

He arched an eyebrow. "Do you promise to protect me?"

She snorted a laugh. "From what, the wildlife?"

Barry shrugged. "I guess you could put it that way, though specifically I meant your dad."

Korra laughed loudly, pressing her face into his shoulder to muffle the sound as other patrons began giving them looks. "I promise," she chuckled. "Though since you're such a perfect gentleman, you should be fine."

"Look, I'm just covering my bases, okay? Your dad is scary."

"Well, look on the bright side, you'll have _two_ of my family's women backing you up. And the other one is a bona fide master at keeping my father docile."

"Fair enough." Barry grinned and kissed her forehead. "Sounds good to me, babe."

"Good," she replied, feeling warmth fill her being as she snuggled into his embrace.

Once again, she was shocked by how _good_ this felt, just being held. Only her relationship with Mako had ever made her felt anywhere near this way, and even then…Korra couldn't remember the sheer strength of emotions ever being this powerful. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder, her ocean blue eyes closing in a sign of trust. Yes, she trusted Barry Allen, first with her life, then with her heart. If she was being perfectly honest, the latter had always been far more difficult. Now…it was so easy it scared her.

At least, it did until she remembered exactly whose arms were around her, the same ones that had carried her away from stress and sadness and everything that had kept her crippled by pain and fear. The same ones that had kept her sane, calmed her down when the stress and anxiety became too much. The same ones that had healed her injuries, purged her of the impurities that had damaged her every bit as much as the mental and emotional scars inflicted. He'd healed those too, the blemishes still present, but now far more tolerable. The ones that carried her out of danger and worked tirelessly and selflessly to protect the ones he loved.

 _Spirits_ , she loved those arms. Korra's lips pressed to his jacket-covered bicep several times as his chest began inflating at an increasing pace. Her mouth trailed up his shoulder to his exposed neck, lingering there for a while as he inhaled sharply and put his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her away. She looked up at him confusedly to see his face flushed, lips curved upward.

"Um…I uh…I gotta go back to work."

Korra blinked several times. "Oh."

"Much as I would love to continue this elsewhere…"

She chuckled lightly, feeling heat rise to her face as she slowly disengaged from his embrace. "Right." A mischievous smirk came to her features as she slid out of the booth to let him out. "Maybe…" she looped her arms around his neck once he'd stood, face inches from his, "once you're off work…" her lips went to his ear, "we can continue this at my place."

Korra felt a tangible shudder run through his body as he involuntarily began to vibrate.

She laughed quietly. "Easy, Bear."

Several rapid breaths were exhaled as he steadied himself, the vibrations stopping after a few seconds. "Right. Um…I'll uh, I'll see you after—you know." He disengaged himself from her as he kept talking at a rapid-fire pace, making for the door. "We will, uh, definitely—you know." He motioned between them.

Korra had to restrain laughter at his beet-red state, biting down on her lower lip. "Mhm."

"Yeah, so, uh…" his shoulder bumped the doorframe hard, "see ya."

The moment he was out the door, the Avatar reared up her head and let out peals of raucous laughter, barely taking a moment to breathe for almost a full minute. Spirits, she liked that boy. A gigantic grin was plastered to her features as she sat back down at her table, resuming work on her plate as her head shook.

…

6 hours later

Police HQ, crime lab

Barry stared at the crime board in his lab, clippings of police reports and sightings of a yellow blur over the last day. Three more murders had been committed, all cops, each one of higher rank than the last. The press had taken the initial speculation by the president and run with it, making out the Flash to be some sociopathic killer with no regard for public safety. The man himself had personally denounced the Flash and informed the public that his task force was working around the clock to bring him to justice. The warrant allowing the task force inside HQ's inner workings had been rewritten (the captain had jealously guarded the paper and given a grinning Mako the stink-eye), but any potentially compromising evidence, specifically the camera recording detailing Barry's story and identity, had been moved to a more secure location.

Needless to say, his initially depressing day had only taken a turn for the worse. In less than twenty-four hours, the man in yellow had turned the Flash from Republic City's guardian angel to public enemy number one. Once again, he'd ruined what meant the most to him, and there was nothing Barry could do to stop him. His head shook repeatedly as he sighed and leaned against a chair, looking up a second later and pulling on the board's underside tab, the sheet containing his current case file shooting upward as the much older one was exposed to his sight. Barry's vision drifted over to the photo of himself with his parents as his mind went back to a memory from his childhood.

…

7 years ago

"Ouch."

"Hm. Your bruise is already healing."

Barry looked up at his mother with a wince. "Still hurts though."

She smiled warmly. "Not for much longer, honey." Nora gave him a nod. "Here, come on." She waited for him to get settled into bed as she pulled the covers over his small body. "I'll keep the light on for you."

Barry chewed his lower lip for a second as his mother prepared to leave. "Were you ever afraid of the dark?"

She turned back with a curious expression. "Tell me, Barry, if I turn this light off now, will you be scared?"

He thought about it for a moment. "No."

Nora smiled. "That's because I'm here with you. See, you're not afraid of the dark. You're afraid of being alone in the dark, and that goes away when you realize something." She cupped his face, her other hand stroking his hair. "You're never really alone."

They shared a moment of silence until Henry came through the door. "Time for bed, slugger."

Barry looked up at him. "I'm thirsty."

The doctor chuckled. "No, you're stalling." He laid a filled glass on his night table. "Got you covered, though." He hugged Barry for a moment. "Good night, slugger."

Nora stroked his hair once more and smiled as she kissed his forehead. "Sweet dreams, my beautiful boy."

As they left, Barry smiled. "You can turn off the light."

And as the parents exchanged a smile, they did.

…

3 hours later

"Mom. Mom!" Barry desperately shook Nora Allen's immobile form, wailing out her name repeatedly as the first responders looked on helplessly. All except one, that is.

"Hey." A strong, metal-plated arm curled around his small body from behind. "It's okay. I know it doesn't feel this way, but everything's gonna be all right. I promise, kid."

The child turned and buried his face in the officer's chest, his arms curling around metal armor as the woman held him close despite the stares of the officers around her.

"I promise."

…

Present

"Barry! Hey Barry!"

The CSI breathed in sharply and blinked hard, turning toward the source of the voice to see Mako striding toward him.

The firebender chuckled. "I called you twice, man. What's got you so—" The question died in his throat as he saw the contents of the crime board. "Your parents' case."

Barry turned back to the board and took a deep breath. "I used to study this board every day. Lately, I haven't looked at it as much as I should have."

Mako blinked and shot him a concerned look. "I didn't know you did that."

Barry smirked. "Guess there's still some stuff about me you don't know."

The detective stared at him for a second. "So…based on what's on this board, I'd say you're a lot more invested in this case than you initially let on."

The CSI's jaw tightened, not even looking at his friend.

Mako just shook his head and stared at the board. "I don't get it. Seven years, and he decides to turn up _now_. Why?"

 _Because things are finally going well for me,_ he thought, shrugging. "I don't know," he sighed. "Maybe he's got it out for the Flash. Jealous of his powers, doesn't like others copying his thing. One thing's for sure, though." He stood slowly. "Now that he's back, I don't think I'm ever gonna sleep well until he's behind bars."

"Amen to that, bro." He was silent for a minute, watching as streaks of rain slid down the window. "Anyway, I better get back to work."

"Yeah, me too."

"Oh no, you've done enough for today." Mako put a hand on his shoulder. "Go home, Bear. You look exhausted."

Barry sighed deeply, closing his tired eyes. "Yeah. Okay." He smiled. "Thanks, Mako."

The firebender nodded and left, his friend turning back to the window and running his hands through his hair as he leaned against his desk, staring out into the stormy night. Suddenly, lightning flashed, and he looked up toward the sky, blinking once and shifting his gaze back down when something caught his eye. Barry's lips parted and jaw dropped slightly as he stared at a faraway rooftop with widened eyes.

Two glowing red orbs stared right back.

Barry pushed away from the desk as he blinked again, checking to see if he was hallucinating. When the vision failed to clear out, he stared at the yellow-clad figure as it observed him for a moment, then ran down the side of its rooftop perch, red lightning trailing behind it. Barry responded instantly, snagging his suit from its hidden compartment in his lab, then sprinting out of the station at full speed, following the red trail into an alley ten blocks from the station. The man in yellow stood at the opposite end of the alley, gazing at him with those unyielding red orbs as they faced each other, his masked face an indistinct yellow blur.

"It was you," Barry breathed in horror. "You had my parents murdered, tried to kill me." He snarled. "And now you're framing me for mass murder! Why?!"

"If you want to know that," a deep, unnatural voice began as his head tipped downward, "you're gonna have to catch me."

He was gone in the next instant, the Flash running behind him and chasing the object of his longtime hatred through one street after the next. They turned onto another thoroughfare every half second, their bodies little more than red and yellow blurs, the only noticeable signs of their passing red and gold lightning strikes as they streaked across all of Republic City. Barry pushed his legs to the limit as his face twisted into a determined scowl, teeth clenched as his opponent stayed just ahead of him, just out of reach.

Their chase led the Flash to the rebuilt pro-bending arena, dark and empty as he ran onto the central platform, the drawbridges extended from its last use. His blue eyes darted around the massive amphitheater, looking for any signs of movement as they narrowed. Suddenly, lights around the room turned on and began flashing as two floodlights illuminated each side of the ring. A flash of red lightning preceded the arrival of his enemy at the opposite side, the two speedsters facing off with tensions at a fever-pitch for a few moments as Barry's right hand curled into a fist.

And then they took off toward each other, meeting in the middle as Barry took a swing at his face. He found himself flying through the air and rolling to a stop after being struck in the side of the head. The Flash looked up at his blurred opponent, the man looking down on him with disdain in his voice.

"Not fast enough, Flash."

Snarling, he took off after him, chasing the yellow-clad speedster around the arena and through the bleachers, the announcer's box. Several blows were thrown and exchanged, Barry feeling his fists connect with his target solidly several times as equal damage was done to him. He chased the man in yellow back onto the central platform, taking a swing at the back of his head and feeling himself pitch forward as he was tripped.

"What do you want from me?!" Barry roared as he scrambled to his feet.

"Balance," the man said flatly, dodging the next furious strikes from the Flash with the ease of a master.

"What the hell does that mean?!"

"Come now, Barry." He ducked under a strike and palm-heeled Barry in the chest, then zipped behind and tripped him, throwing him to the ground. "You're a scientist. What's the third law of motion?"

Barry's eyes narrowed. "For every action—" he rose to his feet and swung at his head, missing, "—there is an equal—" two more speed punches dodged or blocked, "—and opposite reaction!"

A left jab by the Flash was ducked and countered with a right hook at his head, which Barry actually managed to block and counter with a right hook that impacted his jaw solidly. With a growl, the man in yellow dodged his next strike and pulled his extended arm, flipping him over his shoulder.

"Precisely," the inhuman voice hissed. "Life is balance, Barry Allen." He spun several times, still holding onto the Flash's appendage as he moved, then threw him twelve feet away. " _Everything_ in this world has an opposite. It is the nature of the universe. Light and darkness—"

Another punch redirected and countered with a knife-hand to Flash's neck.

"—Raava and Vaatu—"

A wild swing was dodged as Barry rushed past, the man in yellow lapping once around the ring before shoving him to the ground from behind. He stood over Barry as the speedster turned over to face him, breathing heavily.

"—the Flash…and the Reverse-Flash."

Barry heaved a few breaths. "Who are you?"

"You _know_ who I am."

His head shook slowly. "I don't know who you are."

"But you do, Barry." He motioned between them. "We've been at this a long time, you and I, but I'm always one step ahead."

Snarling, Barry dashed toward him, swinging at his head hard. The Reverse-Flash just pivoted his body to the side, the fist blurring past his face as he ducked down and slammed Barry in the solar plexus with a palm heel, then ran around his back and pinned him to the ground.

"Your existence cannot be allowed to continue if balance is to be restored, Flash. It is your destiny to lose to me, just as it was your parents' destiny to die that night."

With another loud whir and a few heavy breaths, Barry felt the pressure lift off his back and slowly pushed himself to his feet. His eyes scanned the arena blankly, knowing he would find no trace of the man in yellow, his tormentor…his reverse. The beaten speedster collapsed to his knees, head cradled in his hands as his shoulders shook and sobs racked his body. He lay there for nearly a half hour, paralyzed by fear, anger, and overwhelming failure. Seven years…seven years and a lightning bolt later…and he was still as helpless as the day the old Barry died.

 _Mom…Dad…I'm so sorry._

* * *

AN: Thus begins the Reverse-Flash storyline in earnest. Hope you guys are as excited about this as I am, because I am _PUMPED_. A few notes on this chapter. One, I apologize for the fact that each chapter is just getting longer and longer. I'm just having a hard time fitting everything I want per chapter into 6000 words or less. Two, I _never_ liked President Raiko…so there. Three, I changed more than a few aspects of the first Reverse-Flash fight, primarily because I thought it was a little too one-sided in the show, even if the Reverse-Flash really was supposed to be so much faster than Barry. Well, that and in this story, Barry's had far more training in close combat up to this point than in the CW show. Finally, the next chapter will close up the Reverse-Flash's introduction and bring in another character that will feature a little more heavily in later chapters.

Unlike the show, I will _not_ be revealing the true identity of the Reverse-Flash by the end of next chapter. I want your shock when it's finally revealed to be as great as Barry's. And with that, I say goodbye and _oya_.

-CDrake

P.S.: Oh, almost forgot. I'm hoping to output the next chapter by end of tonight or tomorrow. The whole "Victory Day" thing was my nod, as Barry explained, to Aang's defeat of Ozai and the Fire Nation during the Hundred-Year War. It's also my tribute to the Fourth of July, so expect another update soon.

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash vs. Arrow - The Man in the Yellow Suit: chase through Republic City/The Flash vs. the Reverse-Flash, round one


	16. Blindsided

Blindsided (adj): to be struck, figuratively or literally, from where is least expected.

20 minutes later

Air Temple Island

8 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Korra snapped her fingers one more time to ignite the last of a dozen candles she'd spread around the room, allowing herself to fall back against her bed, bouncing several times before coming to a stop. A small smile came to her face in anticipation of her boyfriend's arrival. It vanished once that actually happened. Ocean blue eyes snapped wide open as she took in his form: the split lip and bruises no longer hidden by his hood, the torn Flash suit, the slump to his shoulders and expression of pure defeat. The Avatar was on her feet instantly.

"Barry?" she asked, taking his arm and helping him over to the bed. "What happened?"

He didn't answer, just stared sullenly at the ground.

Her arm tightened around his shoulders, forehead pressing against his jaw. "What happened?" she repeated, more quietly. Her eyes widened as her own mind provided a possible answer. A snarl came to her face. "Those bastards."

Barry blinked and faced her. "What?"

"The task force. They found you, didn't they?"

He stared at her openmouthed as she picked herself up and started stomping toward the exit. Barry ran in front of her to block her path. "Wait, just…wait." He sighed hard. "It wasn't them." His upper lip twitched half in rage, half disappointment as he strode past her toward the bed. "It was worse."

Korra blinked and rejoined him. "Worse?" A horrified look crossed her features. "Wait, you mean—"

His single, drawn-out nod confirmed it.

"Oh spirits…what happened? Are you okay?"

Barry shrugged noncommittally. "Nothing that won't heal. Nothing physical, at least."

Korra saw moisture build in his light blue eyes, a sadness and self-loathing she hadn't seen in months, and just couldn't take it. Her face was pressed into his neck as her arms looped around his midsection, tightening considerably and forcing him to hold her back. His gloved fingers stroked through her hair as his face tilted down to press his cheek against it. A gentle kiss was laid on his neck before she angled her head to look up into his eyes.

"We'll figure this out," she said earnestly. "Right now, you need to tell me what happened, see if there's anything we can use against him."

He shrugged. "Okay. But I really don't think there is. His speed—it's _beyond_ me. Every time I'd get close, he'd just pull away, like this was some kind of sick game."

"Did he say anything that could tell us where he's headed next?"

Barry's head shook. "He just said that my existence had to end if, quote, 'balance is to be restored,' whatever the hell that means." He huffed in frustration. "How do we stop a guy even _I_ can't keep up with?"

Korra sighed into his neck. "I don't know. But we _will_ figure out a way. For now, we need to get you some breathing room with this task force."

"Raiko's got the whole city hating my guts, and someone's bound to have seen our chase across the city. After that, he'll have even _more_ pressure to catch me."

"Unless we can find a way to disrupt his flow of misinformation."

Barry's brows furrowed. "How we gonna do that?"

"It's simple. We plant a seed of doubt, reasonable suspicion."

"Again, how? I can't exactly run into his office and say flat to his face, 'I didn't do this.'"

Her head shook. "I'm not suggesting you should." A sly smile came to her face. "But I _do_ think you need someone in your corner."

He stared at her for a few seconds before a look of realization passed over his face. And then he just grinned.

…

30 minutes later

Republic City Picture News

"All right, Linda, I'm off for the night."

The dark-haired woman gave him a nod before returning to her typewriter. "See ya Mason."

Her fingers clicked over the keys at a rather high rate, pumping out line after line of ink on a new corruption story she'd been covering. A sudden gust of wind startled her from her work and caused her to whip her head around. Her jaw dropped when she saw the cause.

"You—you're him."

The Flash lifted a hand, a good twenty feet between them, his masked face covered in shadow. "I'm not gonna hurt you," he said, his voice echoing unnaturally. "I just need you to listen."

"People are saying you murdered a bunch of cops. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call them." Linda made no move for the phone, and had no intention to, but she still played it off.

"Because I'm not the person they're saying." He held up a manila folder in her view. "And I have a file that can prove it, or at least cast reasonable suspicion on President Raiko's actions thus far."

A flash of lightning and gust of wind saw the file deposited on her desk, the Flash returning to his previous distance as she slowly picked it up and opened it. Her desk lamp was angled so she could read the—police file? Linda looked up at the Flash.

"Where did you get this?"

Even at this distance in the shadows, she could see him frown. "Suffice to say, they've protected me during all this, and I'm inclined to return the favor."

"So you can't tell me."

His head shook.

Linda sighed and took a closer look at the file, her jaw slowly dropping as she read the detailed witness reports. "A 'man in yellow'? Red eyes? Red lightning?" She looked up at him. "What story has Raiko been reading? 'Cause that doesn't sound like you at all." Linda snorted. "And neither does the sociopathic murderer part."

Flash's lips pursed. "He calls himself the Reverse-Flash…but you can't publish that. Not until my name is cleared fully."

Linda smirked and nodded. "Having a wanted criminal as a source _can_ lead to some unhealthy investigations."

The speedster was silent for a while. "Do you think you can print it?"

She held up the folder. "With this file, and me saying I have an anonymous source within the RCPD? Oh yeah." Linda smiled. "I've got your back, Flash."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ms. Park."

As he made to leave, she made a noise to get his attention. "Hey, Flash?"

He turned to face her. "Yes?"

"Just so you know…a lot of people in this city never stopped believing in you, despite everything they're saying. I'm one of them."

He smiled widely. "Glad to hear it."

The next second, the Flash was gone in, well, a flash. Linda couldn't help but smirk as she sat down at her desk, folder laid out, and pulled the previous sheet from her typewriter. A clean one was fitted as a long breath of concentration left her lungs, her fingers flying into action as they began what could be the story of a lifetime.

…

Next day

Future Industries Airfield

Korra, Asami, and the rest of Team Flash stared at the newest story by RCPN with unabashed glee as Barry absently bounced a ball off a wall and back into his hand.

Korra smirked as she read the headline. "'Raiko vs. the Flash, Manhunt or Witch Hunt?' By Linda Park." She looked over at her boyfriend. "It's _perfect_ , Bear. She goes into detail about the suspect described in the police reports, as well as previous eyewitness accounts of the Flash." She chuckled. "I've got _no_ idea how Raiko's gonna cover this one up."

Barry sighed. "I still wouldn't put it past him just yet. He's a politician, and politicians can be annoyingly creative when it comes to maintaining their image." He tossed the ball one more time before rising to his feet and pacing nervously. "To settle this once and for all, we need to catch the Reverse-Flash, either permanently or on camera. Expose him to the public eye."

"Which we _will_ do," Asami said resolutely.

Barry shrugged and huffed. "I said it before, and I'll say it again: how do we catch someone even _I_ can't keep up with?"

"That, my dear boy—"

Every eye in the room snapped toward the source of the voice.

"—is something I believe I can help you with." The mustached man snapped his fingers behind him several times. "Zhu Li, the thing!"

A harried woman with glasses bore two rather large metal pylons into the control center, setting them down against Asami's desk.

The CEO arched an eyebrow at the device and gave Varrick a rather pointed look.

The inventor just smiled and waved to his assistant, who stood the pylons upright and anchored them to the ground with retractable stands. "These are based off my electromagnetic maglev design, only instead of focusing on the magnetic part of the deal, they specialize in deploying concentrated bursts of electricity. Put two of these babies side-by-side—" he tapped a control as a portable battery was attached to one pylon, "—and bam! You've got yourself a wall of lightning."

And indeed they did. The space between the pylons was crackling with the occasional burst of electricity, but not quite a _wall_ of the stuff. The team gave him another look, to which Varrick replied by snatching up an apple from a protesting Cisco's desk and tossing it through the space between. Instantly, the fruit was bathed in high volumes of electricity, coming out the other side little more than a charred mess.

"The rather invisible qualities of the wall work to our advantage, since whatever trap we set for this guy can't be something he sees coming."

Barry strode up to the pylons with a thoughtful look.

"So, what do you think?"

The speedster smirked slightly. "I think it's perfect."

"All right then," Asami said. "We've got the trap. Now all we need is the bait." She turned to her team. "Any ideas?"

"I've got one," a new voice said from the entrance. Chief Beifong leaned against a wall, arms crossed with a scowl on her face. "This speedster likes to kill cops? How about giving him a shot at the one on top?"

"Chief, no," Barry protested. "He's already murdered five others. No one's even so much as slowed him down, and if he takes a shot at you…I don't think I can stop him."

"Which is what the trap is for, isn't it?" She turned to the visiting inventor. "How sure are you that this electric trap will work?"

"Ninety-nine-point-nine percent, Chief." Varrick winked. "Pretty much a done deal."

She nodded. "Then I'm in. I'll hold a press conference a little later today. Issue a challenge to this…Reverse-Flash, but I won't call him out by name. Can't cast any more suspicion on myself than I already have."

Barry nodded slowly.

Lin and Asami exchanged a look, the latter rising from her seat and approaching the speedster. "Look, Bear…"

He arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Why do I feel like I'm not gonna like this?"

"We…the chief and I, we feel it may be best if you're not present for this."

Barry's jaw dropped as his eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

"You're too close to this, kid," Lin said.

"Or maybe you're not close enough. This man _murdered_ my parents!"

"Exactly, and it's that emotion that's going to cloud your judgement and make your actions unpredictable. If we're gonna clear your name, Allen, this needs to go off without a hitch, _exactly_ according to plan. If you're there…I can't guarantee that it will."

The speedster's jaw clenched. "This is _my_ fight."

Lin's head shook slowly, her arms crossed. "Not today, kid."

Barry stared at them, huffing in disbelief, as each looked at him with a mixture of understanding and disapproval. His head shook as he stormed out the door, walking onto the airfield.

"Hey," someone called from behind him.

He turned slowly, finding a pair of slender arms wrapping around his torso a second later as he sighed and returned the embrace.

"We're gonna catch this guy. I promise. And just because Lin doesn't want you there when the trap's sprung doesn't mean you won't get a second shot at him."

Barry's auburn eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Korra smirked slyly. "I mean, you and I and whoever else I can get a hold of will be waiting outside wherever they're planning to corner him. If the trap fails, or anything else goes wrong…we'll be there to take him down."

Barry smirked and nodded slowly, looping an arm around her shoulders as they strode toward her car. "So who'd you have in mind?"

"Well, considering Mako's one of her best detectives and fighters, Lin will probably have him on trap detail, so…I was thinking Bolin, maybe Tenzin and Bumi too."

Barry nodded slowly as they mounted up. "Having a couple airbenders would be useful for throwing off running patterns, doesn't need to be as directed as other types of bending, or even my speed."

"My thoughts exactly. And since they both know who you are…"

He grinned and kissed her forehead. "It's perfect."

She shrugged. "What can I say? I'm awesome like that."

"Mhmmmm…" Barry laid a lingering kiss on her lips, eliciting a small hum of enjoyment before he pulled away.

Korra's eyelids fluttered as she blinked rapidly, then exhaled hard. "It's kind of annoying how you can do that," she said without heat.

He grinned. "What? Kiss my amazing, gorgeous, wonderful girlfriend?"

She arched an amused eyebrow. "Flatterer much."

He shrugged, still grinning. "Just callin' it like I see it."

Korra sighed and chuckled as she put the car in drive. "It's still flattering."

"Only if it works."

"You're impossible."

"Well… _yeah_ , but you know, Korra…" he leaned in close, "impossible's just another Tuesday for us."

A loud laugh came from her throat as her right hand grasped his, the other on the wheel. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

His body was instantly tense.

She noticed. "Whoa, um…Barry, I—I didn't mean it like that. I just—you know—"

"Yeah," Barry replied quietly, smiling. He looked off into the distance, hand still in hers. He was silent a while before a wry grin came to his face. "Right back at ya."

The beet-red on her face was _totally_ worth the slap that came after he laughed his ass off at her.

…

Republic City, Residential District

A series of loud knocks shook Bolin from his phone call, pouting slightly as he told Opal to hold on. When he opened the door, his black eyebrows shot up.

"Can I, uh…help you?"

The person on the other end of the door, a green-clad man with glasses and a folder, smiled. "I certainly hope so. You are Bolin, yes? Formerly of the Future Industries Fire Ferrets?"

The earthbender grinned. "That's me."

The man smiled wider. "I have a proposition for you, from the Earth Kingdom's interim president."

"Captain Kuvira? What's up there?"

"The president wishes your presence in her joint task force. She wants _you_ to help her reunite the Earth Kingdom."

Bolin's green eyes went wide. "I'm, uh, honored and all, but…why me?"

"President Kuvira witnessed your earthbending abilities firsthand during the Red Lotus crisis, and she believes you to be exactly what is needed to stabilize the nation…if you are willing."

The former pro-bender let out a long breath, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know…I'd need to think it over."

The envoy smiled and bowed. "Of course, sir. When you have made your decision, I will be waiting in temporary quarters at City Hall. Ask for Ping."

"Yes, sir. I will. Thank you."

The man walked away with a bow, leaving Bolin standing in his doorway staring absently off into the distance. _Me, reunite the Earth Kingdom? Could I? Should I?_ He looked at his desk, a recent photo taken of the family they'd found in Ba Sing Se before Korra's crippling. He picked it up, stared at the smiling face of his Gram-Gram. His eyes closed as he remembered the day the city descended into anarchy, the day rioters burnt their home to ashes. When the green orbs snapped open, they narrowed in a hardness as firm as the element he bent. Bolin picked up the phone's receiver with a determined air.

"Hey Opal? Sorry about that. Listen…I know it wasn't exactly good times when your bro left to help Kuvira, but…my family? They're practically homeless now, and if I help her, I can guarantee their future. A _better_ future. Do you understand?"

Silence greeted him on the other end for a long moment.

"Opal?"

An audible sigh was heard. "Yes, Bo. I understand. I may not like it…but I understand."

He released his own sigh, one of relief. "Thanks, Opal. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Just…visit sometime, okay?"

Bolin chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "I dunno. These days, you seem a lot more mobile than I am, Ms. Airbender."

"Ha ha. Just…be safe, okay?"

"Always, beautiful."

…

" _Al Sa-Her_."

"Speak."

"The boy has taken the bait. We will have his support."

"Good. Contact Ping and let him know to expect him soon. Everything must be done quickly and precisely, _Sarab_. We're not going to have another incident like last month, and we _cannot_ afford to have any…interference from the usual source."

"Understood. I will handle this matter with the utmost discretion, sir."

"See that you do."

…

2 hours later

Republic City Cemetery

"Hey Mom. Hey Dad." A long gulp. "Sorry it took me so long to visit. I've uh…I've been kinda busy." A few paces and a deep sigh. "Lots of stuff has been happening lately…not all of it good, but I'm dealing. You know me." A smile. "Always the slugger." The smile faded. "I found him. The man in yellow…the man in the lightning." A head shake. "And I was… _this_ close to catching him. _This_ close…to finally bringing you some peace." Another gulp. "You know, every day since that night, I've blamed all this on him. Blamed every day you've had to spend in this dirt…every day your blood calls out for justice and goes unanswered…it was all on him. Until today."

A jaw clench. "Now it's on me. Because I failed. I had my shot…and I failed." A kneel in front of two tombstones. "I'm so sorry."

Barry's shoulders slumped as he looked at the ground, the pale gray stone of his parents' graves standing in front of him, unyielding. He didn't notice the other presence until a bouquet of red flowers was laid in front of the stones. Barry looked up and let his eyes widen slightly as he recognized the figure, then turned back to the tombstones.

"I stopped by your little…home-base. Came looking for you, since you wouldn't return my calls." The blonde woman sighed. "When I heard what happened…I figured you'd come here." She sat down next to him, rubbing his shoulder with her cupped hand. "You can't blame yourself, Barry."

"Why not?"

Felicity sighed. "Because they wouldn't want you to. I know that." She poked his arm. "You know that."

Barry's head shook slowly. "I _had_ him, Felicity. He was _right_ there, right in my grasp." He shrugged. "And then he was gone. I could barely keep up with him."

"Then you work through it. This is just another obstacle to overcome. You can't look at this from a personal point of view. You have to see things objectively. When things get personal, they get emotional, and emotions…can be detrimental."

"So what?" he asked incredulously. "You just want me to ignore what he's done? To forget?"

"Oh, _hell_ no. You can't forget that any more than Oliver can forget what happened to him on that island. But you _can_ choose not to focus on it." Her lips pursed. "Barry…you have to stop obsessing over the past, or you'll never be able to live _now_ , in the present. I've seen it before, in Oliver."

"I can't ignore what he's done."

"Then don't. Just focus on what he's doing _now_. He's a criminal, and a metahuman like you. That makes him your priority. Not because he had your parents killed, but because he's been killing innocent people in the last few days, and that has to stop. If you don't look at this that way…you'll have the same problem Korra's been having for the last eight months."

He shot her a disbelieving look, thinking about it for a few moments. He exhaled sharply. "You're right. I never acknowledged it, but…I'm afraid of him. Terrified. And it's because of what I witnessed that night. He came right at me. There was nothing I could do." A look of sharp realization passed over his features. "But something _else_ did. Something interfered, stopped him from finishing the job." Barry looked straight at her. "If I take _nothing_ else away from that memory, it has to be that." The speedster scrambled to his feet as Felicity joined him, the CSI grabbing her arms and smiling confidently. "He _can_ be beaten."

She smiled. "Exactly."

He grinned and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Felicity."

"Hey," she chuckled, "I'm here all week. And I mean that quite literally. I'll only be here 'til the end of the week."

Barry laughed and nodded. "I gotcha. We gotta catch up after all this is over."

"Absolutely."

"But right now…I've got a rogue speedster to stop."

Felicity gripped his arm. "And I have _every_ confidence you will. Now get going. You've got a lot of preparation to do, yes?"

He nodded once. "Right. See ya later." Barry was gone immediately.

…

Future Industries airship, FI Airfield

Korra strode up to the gangplank of the airship, tossing something up to Cisco before walking out onto the landing strip. Her eyes drifted over to the setting sun as it fell behind the mountains, her legs taking her onto a bluff next to a warehouse, the fading light of the star casting a red glow to fall over her features. Her brows furrowed as she sensed a presence on her left, whirling toward the shadows that hid it as a flame sparked in the palm of her hand.

"Show yourself," she said in a threatening tone.

"I'd rather not," a deep, raspy voice replied.

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

His answer seemed hesitant, the silhouette of his body showing his head bowing slightly. "They wouldn't understand." He nodded at the airship. "But I can help you. I've been watching for a long time. I know what you're doing tonight is going to be dangerous, and I want to help."

"Again, why?"

His fists clenched. "Someone I love is about to be put in harm's way. I want to keep them safe."

Her lips parted as his face came into the light somewhat, his long hair covering most of it from view. "You look familiar," she breathed.

"It doesn't matter who I am. Not anymore. But she has to survive this, has to keep living…even if that means she does it without me."

"She?" Korra's brows furrowed as her mind raced for an explanation, finally arriving at one as she took a step toward the figure. "You—you're—"

"No. I'm not. Not anymore. I'm nothing now, just a ghost. Nothing more than the element I control. Just a firestorm."

"Look…Mr. Raymond…I don't know what happened to you that night, but I can help."

His head shook. "I can't let you—or anyone—get mixed up with this."

She stared at him confusedly. "Mixed up with _what_?"

He waved her off. "Doesn't matter. Will you let me help or not?"

Korra's lips pursed as she stared at him for a few seconds. "Okay."

"Just one thing."

"Yes?"

"Don't…don't tell Cate. Please."

Korra sighed hard and shrugged. "I can't see why not."

She looked directly at him, not even the sheet of hair in front of his face hiding the glowing white ovals that peered back. "If I have to intervene tonight…you will."

Korra just stared as he drew back into the shadows, vanishing from sight seconds later. She stood there for several minutes until she felt a gust of wind at her back.

"Hey."

The sudden greeting made her jump and turn toward the source.

"Whoa, slow down there," Barry chuckled. "You really that high-strung?"

The Avatar arched an eyebrow. "And you're _not_?"

He shrugged. "Point taken." The younger man put an arm around her shoulders, also turning toward the sunset. "You think this'll be the last time any of us sees one of those?"

Korra gripped his hand hard. "Don't even _think_ like that," she ordered firmly.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her neck. "Yes, ma'am."

"Hey guys!" Cisco called from the airship. "She's makin' the announcement!"

Korra and Barry exchanged a look before they both ran onto the airship, the former shooting one last glance at the shadowy warehouse before boarding. Their eyes, like the newly arrived Tenzin, Bolin, and Bumi, were immediately locked onto the activated television.

"I've called this conference to send a message, not to the public, but to the yellow blur that's been terrorizing our city these past two days." Lin glared into the camera. "I am Chief of Police Lin Beifong, and I'm not afraid of you. You've spent the last forty-eight hours killing cops. You think you can just run around _my_ city, kill _my_ officers, and get away with it? Fine. I'm here to give you the opportunity to kill one more: me. Take me out of the picture once and for all. I'll be where this all started in twenty minutes. You know the place. I recommend you avoid being late," she snorted, "not that that'll be a problem." A snarl. "See you in hell."

She walked off the stage immediately, everyone present staring at the screen until it turned to one of the nearby reporters. It shut off as Bumi manned the helm of the airship and brought them into a climb, Barry and Korra standing by a window.

"You okay?"

He turned to face her and frowned. "Will be. Hopefully." His fist clenched against the window frame. "Now we wait."

…

18 minutes later

Cabbage Corp steel factory, Dragon Flats

"Is everything in place?"

Lin's earpiece clicked on as Cisco's voice filled her ear. "Varrick oversaw the installation personally. The second your side of the wall gets hit, the whole ring's gonna light up."

The chief nodded. "All right. Everyone get in position."

"Roger," a ragged chorus sounded from various points around the factory.

In front of her were two metal pylons, connected to a network of six more around a circular space. The police chief had effectively backed herself into a corner, ostensibly to keep any potential threats coming from one direction, but in actuality to force the Reverse-Flash to run through their capture net to get to her. As Cisco had said, the second he hit her side of the barrier (the only active end), the engineering team on standby would trigger the rest of the pylons, giving them one homicidal speedster caught like a rat in a trap. One good reel of footage would be enough to clear Barry's name, but nothing was going to please Lin more than to march the bastard into Raiko's office and stand the two metahumans side-by-side.

With that infinitely gratifying thought, she refocused her attention on the darkened warehouse, eyes narrowing as they glanced at her watch. _Thirty seconds._ A long breath was inhaled, then exhaled, her nerves running on overdrive as adrenaline crammed into her bloodstream. The fingers of her right hand splayed outward before curling into a fist. _Twenty seconds._ Two arm blades slowly extended from her gauntlets as her fists clenched, stance widening and solidifying. _Ten seconds._ Her eyes darted from one end of the building to the other. _Five—four—three—two—one—_

A loud whir preceded a flash of red lightning, and her arms snapped to a ready position as it streaked toward her at a pace she'd never witnessed. An inhuman roar split the silence of the building as the yellow blur slammed into an electric barrier and found itself thrown off the ground as the rest of the pylons went active. A smirk came to Lin's face as she retracted her blades and approached the cage, the Reverse-Flash running toward the sides of the barrier as he tested the trap for faults.

"I wouldn't bother," she shouted. "This little mechanism was created by one of the greatest minds in the world. You won't be escaping that easily."

The Reverse-Flash slowly turned toward her, his glowing red eyes boring holes into hers, what little was visible of his features blurred.

"I wonder if you ever saw something like this coming," Lin remarked tauntingly. "Fast as you are, I suppose you thought yourself untouchable. But let me make one thing clear: this is _my_ city. You want to cause trouble? You answer to _me_." Her eyes narrowed. "Now, you framed the Flash for murder. I want to know why."

He cocked his head slightly. "The answer is simple."

Lin suppressed a shudder at the sound of his voice.

"The Flash was never meant to be."

Her head cocked. "Come again?"

"His very existence upsets the cosmic order of the universe. And so he must be eliminated."

"I still don't see how making him a target to the authorities gets your outcome."

"Simple. It's as you said, no matter how fast—or strong, or powerful—you are…no one is untouchable. Get enough angry masses, and even the strongest can be overpowered."

"Why not do it yourself?"

"My reasons are beyond your comprehension."

She shrugged and smirked. "I don't know about that. I'm a smart woman. For instance, I knew that if you were to be lured out into the open, I'd have to provide something you'd want the most, and since what you want seemed to be the fires of public opinion stoked against the Flash, I decided to give you a target that would make even his staunchest supporters doubt. I also knew that in order get you in one place for more than an instant, I would have to rely on…unconventional means, given that no human—normal human—response would be sufficiently fast enough to track and pin you."

Lin took another step toward him. "I know this because your abilities are almost exactly like those of the man you're trying to destroy."

He chuckled. "Oh, I'm not like the Flash. At all. Some might say I'm the reverse."

She snorted. "A fact I'm well aware of."

The Reverse-Flash shrugged. "That may be, but what you've failed to see is that this little plan of yours has a single flaw." He approached the barrier, lifting his hand. "You assume this cage can hold me."

Lin's eyes widened in horror as his arm began to vibrate, red lightning dancing off it as it approached the electric barrier. The moment it passed through, with little more than a grunt from its host, was the moment she began shouting into her earpiece.

"All units, converge, converge, converge!"

With a final yell, the speedster pushed through the barrier, blue and red lightning sparking off the entirety of his body as he took a few rapid breaths. A half-dozen metalbending cops plus Mako descended from the ceiling as Lin took a ready stance. The Reverse-Flash cracked his neck once, then let out a menacing chuckle as he took the first step. Six metal cables streaked through his former position at once as red lightning streaked around the room, the flickering lights barely giving the police glimpses of their target as yelled orders and screams of confusion and pain filled the building.

"Mako, take the shot!"

"Chief, hit the deck! Officer down!"

Crack. Thump. Whir.

One sound after the next blended together until the cacophony of noises became a maddening symphony of chaos. Red flew in every which direction, breaking armor and bone with blows equivalent to car crashes. A circular run around Mako was countered when the firebender sent arcs of flame in every direction around his body. He actually managed to tag the Reverse-Flash, the speedster running away as the flames petered out, then slamming the detective into a nearby wall, his unconscious body slumping to the ground as a metalbender's neck was snapped.

And then there were two.

Lin and the Reverse-Flash faced off, pacing in circles as the latter chuckled, then rushed for her. Two earth walls diverted his movement, a gamble paying off when one of her cables managed to snag his arm. Wasting no time, she yanked him into one wall after the next, pained yells coming from him until she got another cable around his leg and yanked him off his feet, the metal tightening around his appendages. He growled angrily as she approached.

"It's over!" she roared.

His red eyes looked up at her as his free hand curled around both cables and began to vibrate. "My sentiments exactly."

Seconds later, an ear-splitting screech filled the room, causing Lin to yell and cover her ears as her cables were sheared in half. The second he made a move, she threw up a wide earth wall to block him. To her shock, he didn't alter his course in the slightest. Her green eyes went wide when he literally went _through_ the wall, his fast-moving body tackling her into another back-first. The wind was knocked out of her, and as she tried to cough back into a solid breathing pattern, she saw his right arm lift into the air.

"I hadn't meant to make you a target, but as damaging as this will be to the future, it'll damage _him_ more." His vibrating hand started to lower. "Goodbye, Chief."

Just before it entered her chest, another flash of lightning slammed into him from the side and tackled him out of sight. A few shuddering breaths left her throat as she slumped to her knees, eyes widening as they stared at the ground. _It's impossible…how do you stop something like that?_

…

A furious roar came from Barry's throat as he carried the Reverse-Flash through one thin wall after the next, taking him up the side of the factory and through one of the smoke stacks. They emerged into the open air in a twist of red and gold lightning, everything starting to blur together as they became little more than a collective ball of fury. They hit the ground and ran down the side of the building to ground level, the Flash feeling his legs go out from under him when he was tripped on his way down.

Roughly rolling on impact, he flew off his feet when a fist smashed into his face, recovering rapidly, but not rapidly enough to avoid a dozen speed punches to his ribs. Snarling, he swung at his opponent several times, dodging a few blows sent his way and managing to catch one. Taking a page out of Lin's book, he pulled on it with all he was worth and head-butted him solidly, crying out when he felt his head explode in pain. _I did_ not _practice that enough._ A headache, as it turned out, was the least of his problems, since Cisco and Caitlin were on the ground barely thirty feet away.

Dumping Barry on the ground, the Reverse-Flash made for the scientists, but was intercepted by his enemy, who grabbed him by the shoulder from behind and spun him around, managing to land a solid hit on his face. The Reverse-Flash snapped back from it instantly, clocking Barry in the jaw, then picking him up and throwing him to the ground. He didn't let up for a second, pulling the Flash from the ground and beating him mercilessly. His cowl was pulled back as the red-eyed speedster tightened a hand around his throat, then hooked him in the temple.

Stars exploded in Barry's vision as he hit the ground, his entire body aching, blurry vision picking up a yellow figure striding toward him with deadly intent. His eyes widened as a veritable inferno sent him flying back several feet, darting around to see the arrival of Korra, Tenzin, Bumi, Bolin, and—who the hell was that? Struggling to get to his feet, Barry saw the four familiar faces cluster around him in a wedge, the unfamiliar figure standing between the scientists and the enemy speedster.

Straightening up to his full height, Barry pushed his way to the front of the group. "I don't care how fast you are. You can't fight all of us at once."

The Reverse-Flash chuckled. "Oh, I can't?" He nodded to Barry. "We'll have to test that sometime, but not tonight. Balance _will_ be restored, but your curtain call has not arrived. Our race…is not yet done. See ya soon, Flash."

With a whir and crimson lightning strike, the man in yellow was gone.

And Barry instantly collapsed to his knees, an agonized groan leaving his lips as Korra rushed to his side.

"Barry," she breathed, hoisting him upright as Tenzin got his other side.

"I'm okay," he whispered, holding her close and letting his clearing vision drift over to Cisco, Caitlin, and their newfound ally. His brows furrowed until the man looked toward him, eyes widening as he recognized the face.

Ronnie Raymond turned back to his fiancé with a regretful expression, stepping away from Caitlin with a shake of the head. "Don't look for me," he ordered firmly.

And then his arms extended to the sides, flames coming from—no, _engulfing_ his hands _and_ head before the former pointed at the ground, two massive jets of flame rocketing him into the skies of Republic City. He vanished from their sight seconds later, about an instant before Caitlin burst into body-wracking sobs. Cisco held his best friend close as she poured out her emotions, Barry's expression twisting in pity as his girlfriend's did the same. The couple exchanged a look before turning toward the warehouse, where a limping Lin Beifong was exiting.

She gave the sobbing doctor a glance before turning to Barry. "I guess there's _one_ silver lining to this whole debacle. With the footage we caught of that speedster…your name's sure to be in the clear."

"Send it all to Linda Park before you do anything," Barry said. "If Raiko doesn't follow through and cut off his manhunt, she can apply the proper leverage."

Lin nodded firmly, crossing her arms as her brows furrowed, staring off into the distance. "What a damned mess." Hearing sirens in the distance, she gave Barry a nod. "You better get going."

Barry nodded back as he pulled his cowl back on and zipped over to Caitlin. He gave her a small smile and a quick and unexpected hug before sprinting back home.

…

1 hour later

Presidential palace

Lin and Mako watched with grim satisfaction as Raiko steadily paled over the course of the film's run, his hands tightening on his desk before reaching up to loosen his tie. And then he cleared his throat.

"This evidence…is irrefutable." The president rose from his chair. "Much as…I hate to admit it…I was wrong."

Beifong just snorted and crossed her arms.

Raiko faced her with pursed lips and a critical eye. "But you lied to me."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You said you knew next to nothing about the Flash, but this little… _operation_ you conducted says otherwise."

Lin snorted. "I said I couldn't tell you what I don't know. I never specified just what that was."

Raiko's eyes narrowed. "But you _do_ know who he is, don't you?"

Both the president and Mako looked to her, the first accusingly, the second curiously.

She just smirked and shook her head. "Yeah, I know who he is."

Two sharp intakes of breath were heard.

Lin tapped Mako's shoulder. "He's the guy that saved both our asses tonight." She glared at Raiko. "Maybe you'll remember that the next time you want to screw around with his life. Sir."

The chief and her detective stalked out of Raiko's office as the man slumped into his chair, rubbing his temples in sheer disorientation.

Lin snorted as she caught the gesture on her way out. _Least we have_ that _much in common._

…

Next day

Air Temple Island

"You sure I can't convince you to stay?"

Korra smiled and shook her head. "Nope. I figure it's about time we get a little break from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Take some time to ourselves." She looked toward the ship behind her. "Trust me…we need it."

Asami put a hand on her shoulder as Bolin clasped his behind his back. "I understand," she said with a smile. "With any luck, we'll still be here when you get back."

Korra nodded and turned to Bolin. "Will you?"

The earthbender shrugged. "Dunno. I don't think so. Ambassador Ping wants me in Ba Sing Se as soon as possible, which probably means before the end of the week." He grinned. "I'll send ya a postcard, though."

The Avatar chuckled. "I'd appreciate that." Her smile faded as a look of concern crossed her features. "Be careful, Bo." She pulled him into a hug as his brother waited nearby to see them off.

"Always," Bolin replied.

"Mako. Keep the city safe, okay?"

The firebender smirked and embraced her. "I've got my job, now you go do yours."

Korra smirked and saluted him mockingly. "Roger that, Mr. Drill Sergeant."

Mako chuckled and nodded slowly as she strode off the dock and onto the ship the White Lotus had prepared for her as it shoved off. She turned back when something occurred to her.

"Oh, and Bolin!"

"Yeah?!"

"When you're in Ba Sing Se, look up Oliver Queen sometime!"

Bolin sent her a knowing wink. "Will do!"

With a final wave, she turned back to the deck of the ship and strode toward a figure standing at the bow. The sailors manning the boat bustled around him as they went about their various tasks, the young man looking despondently off into the distance as she sidled up next to him. A small smile came to her face as she curled an arm around his back and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Her empty hand found his as he blinked and looked down, her fingers pressing something into his as her smile widened.

"Happy Victory Day," she said quietly.

Barry stared down into his open palm as his eyes filled with tears, jaw dropping slightly as he studied a lightning-shaped locket. Within was a bolt-shaped copy of the photo he kept on the inside of his crime board, a younger, happier Barry with his loving parents holding him between them. His blue eyes closed as tears spilled out of them, his hand closing and shutting the locket as he pulled her into his arms, head tucked onto her shoulder.

"It doesn't feel like a victory," he whispered brokenly.

"I know," she replied. "But you've got to take solace in the ones you've saved…"

"Instead of obsessing over the ones we lost."

Korra nuzzled and kissed his wet cheek. "Hope, Barry. As long as we're still breathing…we still have hope. You taught me that."

He nodded into her neck.

"We'll stop him, Bear. Someday—someday _soon_ —we'll stop him. Together."

Barry straightened up, his reddened eyes hardening as he nodded in agreement. "Together."

* * *

AN: Bam! Posted less than ten minutes before midnight. Do I deliver or what? Lol. Anyway, thus concludes the Reverse-Flash's introduction. I hope you all have enjoyed the ride thus far, because I've got _loads_ more to show you in the coming chapters. I just hope I can keep this up what with the continuing release of my Arrow story and college on the horizon. In any event, this is going out for my tribute to the Fourth of July weekend. Happy Victory (Independence) Day everyone!

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash vs. Arrow - Firestorm Appears: "Show yourself" to "you will"

The Flash Season 1 - Catch Me If You Can: start-1:30—"My reasons are beyond your comprehension" to "Goodbye, Chief"


	17. Recovering

Recovering (adj.): in the process of convalescence, physical or psychological.

1 week later

Police HQ, Republic City

8 months, 1 week after the fall of the Red Lotus

"I'll give you ten minutes, max."

"Thank you, Chief. That'll be more than enough."

Asami took and released a deep breath as she smoothed down her clothes, a clipboard in hand. She strode through the guarded double-doors in front of her with a tight chest, though in apprehension or pity she couldn't tell. Either way, she couldn't afford to stop now, so she pressed on, until she could see the rough shape of a man inside a platinum box through numerous small slits scattered across its surface. Asami approached the box slowly, gulping a little as she drew within six feet and cleared her throat.

The man inside snapped his attention to her immediately, some tension seen in his frame despite the limited view.

Asami cleared her throat again. "Hey, Tony."

A moment's hesitation. "Asami?"

The tycoon blinked several times in surprise. His voice was hesitant, quiet…hopeful? "Yeah, it's me, Tony."

He stayed silent.

"I, uh…do you mind if I sit?"

He didn't answer.

Biting her lower lip, Asami pulled up a nearby chair and sat down slowly. "How are you doing?"

A short pause. "Three square meals, a relatively comfortable bed, plenty of solitude." A snort. "Honestly, I almost feel more at home in here than I do out there."

Asami winced at the bitter tone in his voice. "You don't mean that," she stated quietly.

"And you're not actually here to check up on me, are you?"

Her jaw tightened.

"What do you want, Asami?"

She sighed hard. "Information."

At this, Tony managed a chuckle. "Sorry, gorgeous, but like you said, I never _did_ finish high school. What kinda information could I possibly give you?"

Asami folded a few pages over the edge of her clipboard. "The kind no one else can, or will." She held the clipboard in view of a slit. "This man. I'm guessing you heard about him in the news."

A pause. "I did."

She blinked once. "But you know something the papers don't, don't you?"

She could see him cross his arms. "What makes you say that?"

"Because the first people he killed when he made his debut were police investigators assigned to _your_ old hideout."

"If you're tryin' to accuse me of somethin', I don't think you're gonna get very far. Time that happened, I was already in here, and they don't let me speak to nobody."

Asami sighed. "That's not what I'm trying to do. My point was, they were investigating a physical anomaly, specifically centered around the rail you _broke_ when that fight broke out ten months ago."

He became tense again.

"You were falling toward that vat of steel. You were going to die. Why didn't you?"

Silence.

Asami rose from her seat and approached the box. "It was him, wasn't it? He caught you before you hit."

Another second or two of silence. "Yeah."

A smirk came to her face as she let out a triumphant breath. "What happened afterward?"

Tony crossed his arms. "Why should I tell you?"

"Because, the chief likes me. If you cooperate with my investigation—one _she's_ involved in as well—then I'll put in a good word, see if we can have your sentence reduced, or at least make your life more comfortable in there."

His jaw tightened.

"Look, Tony," she sighed. "If it were me, I wouldn't want to be stuck in a box either, but the fact is, you hurt a lot of people, and for that, you have to do your time. But this, this can _help_ people, the same people you hurt before. You can help atone for your actions, Tony."

"Right. People. Like leather boy." He snorted. "Asami, what is it about that guy that makes you want to choose him over me?"

She blinked hard. "Wait...what?"

"You heard me."

"I know I heard you, but…I was wondering if maybe I heard you wrong. There's _nothing_ between me and the Flash. We're friends, nothing more."

"And is that what you want?"

"That's _all_ I want!" She huffed. "Tony, when I said I wasn't looking for a date two weeks ago, I _meant_ it."

"But if you were, would you still have picked him over me?"

Asami sighed and started pacing. "Oh, I don't believe this," she muttered. "Two weeks, Tony. Two weeks you've been in here, and _this_ is what you want to talk about?"

"I've had a lotta time to think about it. Wanted to get it off my chest, see where I went wrong."

"Well I'm not attracted to _criminals_ , for one," she snapped.

A long silence followed.

"I'm sorry. I know this can't be easy for you, and I don't mean to make it—"

"No, you're right. I thought I could impress you with all my stuff, stuff I had to lift and…you don't care. You already have everything you need."

"Not everything," she admitted quietly. "Not yet." Asami sighed hard. "Look, you want to know why I can work with the Flash and not you? He has _amazing_ abilities, true…but so do you, so that's _not_ the reason." She sat again, eyes on the ground. "It's the same issue where I parted ways with my father. Because of the way my mom died, he thought that bending was the world's evil, that in order for lasting peace to reign, all of it had to be stripped away. What he failed to realize was that bending doesn't hurt people." She looked up at Tony earnestly. " _People_ hurt people."

Asami shrugged. "Some do, anyway. But others use their talents for other purposes, for _better_ purposes. The Avatar is one. The Flash is another." She smiled slightly. "And you could've been, too."

Looking up at him, Asami could've sworn she saw tears in his eyes before he shielded them with his arm, leaning against the side of the box. "Hey 'Sami?"

"Yeah?"

"If…" He gulped. "If I'd met you then…two weeks ago…and I'd…been that kinda person…" He unshielded his eyes to look at her. "Would you have said yes?"

Asami thought about it for a while, looking down and away as she took several deep breaths before meeting his eyes with a small smile. "Yeah…maybe." She smiled a little wider. "Probably."

Something passed over Tony's partially obscured features as he nodded slowly, his stance changing to something completely different as his face hardened. "He calls himself the Reverse-Flash. I didn't know why until two weeks ago."

Asami blinked rapidly, flipping the clipboard to an empty page and clicking a pen. "Okay? Why was he interested in you?"

"I dunno," Tony replied with a shrug. "After he pulled me from that factory, he took me somewhere, somewhere dark—think it was underground…and he gave me an offer."

"What offer?"

He took a long breath, pacing around his cell. "He told me that he could... _improve_ my bending. Make me stronger than I'd ever dreamed. All he wanted in return was for me to quote, 'be myself.'" Tony snorted. "Don't think I knew why until just now."

"He wanted you as a distraction."

Tony nodded. "Bastard set me up as bait for his little death-crush. Probably as a test run."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Asami muttered. "What about the earthquake? The wave you were responsible for creating?"

He shrugged. "After the…modifications, I didn't ever see him again."

"Modifications? What modifications?"

"He uh…he did somethin' to me. I was kinda out of it for most of the time, but…still awake enough to know he stuck me with something, probably needles or some crap."

"And did you see his face?"

His head shook. "Naw. Never came outta that damn yellow suit." He looked at her. "There were others, though. Dunno how many."

"What others?" Asami asked, voice suddenly shaky. "Did you see _their_ faces?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, every so often. Couldn't point 'em out in a lineup, though. The stuff he used to put me under? Damn effective. Like, _hospital_ effective."

Asami nodded slowly, scribbling everything down. "There anything else you can remember?"

He thought about it for a while. "Naw…don't think—wait—"

"What?"

"Yeah…yeah, I do remember _one_ other thing. A name. Somethin' he called one of the other lab rats."

"Okay?"

"Think it was…Martin? Mardon? I dunno exactly. Like I said, I was really out of it."

Asami smiled and let out an audible breath. "Tony…you have _no_ idea how much of a help this is." She rose and put a hand on the side of his cell. "Thank you."

He smiled back a little, for once looking like the boy she'd known. "Anytime, 'Sami. If I remember anything else…I'll see if I can get one of the guards to call you."

"That would be _great_. And, of course, I'll see what I can do for you in here."

Tony shrugged. "It's no biggie. Compared to some of the juvie joints I got sent to, this place is a frickin' spa."

Far from reassuring her, that made Asami's heart sink. "Well…I'll do what I can all the same." She smiled sadly and tapped his cell once more before turning for the door. "Take care, Tony."

"Yeah, you too." She was in the doorway when he spoke again. "Hey 'Sami."

She faced him. "Yeah?"

Tony looked hesitant. "I know I uh…can't really give you any more info, but…do you think you could…I dunno…stop by again, sometime?" He shrugged as his voice started cracking. "Tough guy or no, I uh…it gets kinda lonely in here."

Asami smiled sadly and nodded. "Sure, Tony. I'd like that."

He grinned. "Great. Well uh, I'll see ya I guess."

She nodded again. "See you later."

…

1 week later

White Lotus compound, South Pole

Ice-blue eyes fluttered open when the attached body recognized a foreign warmth spread over his chest, turning downward to see an unkempt mop of raven hair splayed over his torso. A smile slowly spread over his features as his arms curled around the feminine form laying atop him, pulling her close. He let her go a few seconds later as he gently slid out from under her, sliding her head onto a proper pillow and rising from the bed silently. His legs carried him toward a nearby door, which led outside into a hallway. An open door at the end of that hallway allowed him onto a balcony overlooking the entirety of the compound.

A long sigh left his lips as he leaned against the railing, the cold night air seeping through his clothes, though he couldn't honestly say he minded. Much as he despised Captain Cold and his ice usage, he could appreciate the slowing effect the cold had on him, both physically and mentally. At this particular moment in time, Barry couldn't help but feel a rather voluminous swarm of thoughts rush through his mind, with no way to calm them by any measurable degree. Closing his eyes didn't help. If anything, it only made it worse.

So instead, he turned his eyes upward to the sky, blinking rapidly as his lips parted in silent wonder. Barry hadn't left Republic City many times before. Traveling wasn't much of a priority when hunting your parents' killers, especially since those killers tended to stay relatively close to home. He'd seen a fair few wondrous things these past months, but he could say without a doubt that the spirit lights of the South were something entirely unique. As his eyes scanned over the teal green arcs, he felt an overwhelming sense of peace envelop him as the breezy silence, the ever-present but not oppressive cold, and incredible night sky combined in a beautiful symphony of senses.

His moment was disrupted when his brows furrowed. His eyes narrowing, he kept staring at the lights as they slowly shifted from teal to purple to blood-red. Jaw dropping, he took a step back, unable to look away for a second, unable to even blink as the lights intensified and grew, seeming to draw closer and closer to him until he could see a blurry but distinctive shape at the head of them. Lightning struck, and he saw two glowing red eyes fill his vision, boring directly into his. Barry collapsed to the floor as he cried out and shut his eyes tightly, curling up into a defensive ball as his body shook violently.

He remained like this for several minutes, immobile and unfeeling save for an overwhelming fear that enveloped his entire being, trapping him in a prison of his own making. A gentle hand on his shoulder became an insistent shake, and he shot upright to the opposite side of the balcony, hands held up palm-out as if to block a blow. The look on Katara's face was halfway between shock and pity. Barry huffed hard as his hands ran through his hair, eyes flickering back to the sky, then closing as a relieved sigh left his lips. Everything was back to normal.

Another gentle touch on his shoulder. "Barry," a soft voice said.

He took in a long breath, then released it shakily.

"Barry, talk to me."

His eyes opened slowly, locking onto her concerned ones instantly. "I keep seeing him," he whispered.

Her head tilted slightly. "The man in yellow?"

Barry nodded as he leaned sideways against the railing. "The Reverse-Flash." His head shook slowly. "I just can't believe…I can't believe how completely helpless I was. I mean, I hit him…a couple of times, but it didn't do much more than piss him off. And if Ronnie hadn't shown up, at the end…" He shuddered visibly.

Katara's hands tightened around his arms. "Considering what might have been is never a helpful endeavor. If nothing else, it is torment created by your own imagination, and that can be the worst kind. After all, who knows what you fear most…better than you?"

Barry looked at her. "I don't know what to do. I know…I know Korra wants to help me bring him down. All my friends do. I just don't know how." His head shook slowly. "How do I fight something—some _one_ that's wormed his way into my head?" His palms rubbed his tired eyes. "I keep seeing him. On the mainland, in my nightmares, on the boat ride down." He waved upward. "Even in the sky. I can't…I can't get him out of my head."

"From what I hear, the Reverse-Flash is the first enemy to actually defeat you. Korra had the same issue the first time she came face-to-face with Amon. It nearly broke her. And when she lost her bending…" Katara's head shook slowly. "Let's just say I've rarely seen her so low."

"How did she get over it?"

"That time?" Katara smiled. "An intervention from my husband saved the day." A hand went to his shoulder. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid that won't be happening again, so we must rely on more mundane means of recovery."

Barry chuckled mirthlessly. "Suggestions?"

"Well, a good night's sleep would be an excellent start."

He shrugged. "Hasn't exactly been easy to come by."

"As I'm aware. But you must try."

Barry nodded slowly, pushing off to enter the hallway once again and make for Korra's room. Katara cleared her throat behind him, causing the speedster to whirl around and give her a curious look.

"I believe your room is _that_ way." She pointed in the opposite direction from where he was headed.

Barry blinked rapidly and laughed as he felt heat spread over his entire face. "Uh, yeah. Right. Forgot. This place is like a maze sometimes."

Katara shot him a knowing smirk as she strode off. "It _does_ take some getting used to."

The speedster made sure he was walking toward his designated room and out of sight before he shot back over to Korra's and entered within a split-second. Barry slowly lowered himself onto the mattress, one arm curling around his girlfriend's sleeping form as he tucked her body against his, nuzzling her hair. Potentially homicidal father or not, when you spend a nearly two-week boat trip sleeping next to someone, it becomes a very difficult habit to break, especially when you wake up in the middle of the night, heart thundering in your ears, and the firm grip that pulls you back down is your only respite.

That touch, that heat…was his anchor. A bitter grimace came to his face. _Eight months ago, I was her anchor. Now she's_ still _not recovered, but insists on being that for me?_ He pressed a lingering kiss to the crown of her head. _What did I ever do to deserve you?_ With that thought, he closed his eyes and drifted off.

Nothing woke him for ten hours.

…

Barry's eyes slid halfway open as movement below woke him up. His arms tightened around the source as he let out a disapproving groan. She answered with a light elbow to his ribs. A noncommittal grunt came from his throat as Korra kept trying to push him off.

"Barry," she muttered blearily.

"Don't wanna," he replied in the same tone.

An external force removed his choice in the matter when a seven-hundred-pound polar bear dog decided to burst through the doors and cuddle with the couple—starting with a body-slam on the bed. Fast as lightning, Barry was at the other end of the room, away from the door, which he decided was a very good thing, since a terrifying voice came from the hallway.

"Korra, everything all right?"

The Avatar bolted upright and instantly plastered a grin to her face. "All's good, Dad." She stretched out rather exaggeratedly, yawning in the process. "You?"

Tonraq took a moment. "Fine. Checked up on Barry's room, but he wasn't there."

She rubbed her eyes and yawned again. "Must've woken up early. You know him. Fastest man alive, can't stay still for too long, even when he's sleeping."

In a mirror's reflection, Barry caught the chief shaking his head. "That boy. Gonna burn himself out if he doesn't slow down."

Korra laughed as she crawled out of bed and into a proper jacket. "Telling Barry to slow down would be like telling Naga to stop barking at every squirrel toad she sees."

"I know," he chuckled. "But one of these days, who knows? He runs too fast, and then poof! Nothing more than dust in a red suit."

Korra frowned and shook her head slowly. "Dad, I wouldn't even joke about that. He already has enough to worry about with powers he barely understands. Nobody even knows exactly how he got them, and the worst part? There isn't a soul alive who could possibly understand what he can do, or how he can do it, no one who can teach him how to use them, how to avoid any bad side effects, if there even _are_ any." She looked down, glancing briefly in his direction. "In a lot of ways…he's even worse off than an untrained Avatar."

"There is _one_ who might be able to help."

Korra's expression hardened. "Who is _decidedly_ out of the question. Even if he made the offer, Barry would never go for it, and neither would I for that matter."

"Not saying you would. It's just a little hard for me to wrap my head around sometimes. This…other speedster, he's the only person previously documented as having similar abilities."

"And he's a psychopath," Korra replied with a cross of her arms. "Not exactly the best role model."

"Can say that again. How's your detective friend? I heard he was with the strike team assigned to capture the Reverse-Flash, injured during the fight."

"He was, though I wouldn't exactly have called it a strike team. Couple bumps and bruises, but he's okay. Better than the rest of the team, anyway."

"Yes, I…read there were some fatalities. At least you're all in one piece."

"And Barry too. Out of all of us, he probably did the most to stop him, and even _that_ wasn't enough." Korra shook her head slowly. "I just can't figure it out. The Reverse-Flash told Barry that his existence 'needed to end' to reestablish balance. They were alone the previous night. He _had_ the opportunity to kill him. Why not take it?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're right. Maybe he is just a psychopath."

"Psycho or not, he's still brilliant. Brilliant enough to avoid the authorities for this long, and to stay out of public view. We _literally_ had to drag him into the light, otherwise Barry's name might never have been cleared."

"Well, the Flash's."

"Right."

A short pause. "And Mako still doesn't know?"

Korra's head shook.

"I see. Breakfast is just about ready. If you see Barry, let him know we're having bacon and cheese-coated eggs. That oughta get him to slow down."

Barry let out a little squeak of excitement, which Tonraq noticed, much to his terror.

"Is there someone else in there?"

"What?" Korra asked shakily. "Nope. 'Cept Naga, of course."

Suspicious, the waterbender stepped inside the room, turning toward Barry's corner and pushing the door out of his view—to see only an empty corner. "Hm." Tonraq stared at the spot for a few more seconds before turning and smiling at his daughter. "Anyway, I'll see you at breakfast."

She smiled back. "Right, Dad." Korra waited until he was well out of sight, then airbended the doors closed and heaved a sigh of relief. "You can come down now."

"Good," Barry grunted from above, his hands and legs slowly uncurling from around a horizontal flagpole about two feet from the twenty-foot high-vaulted ceiling. "Fast healing or not—" he ran back to the ground, "—that was starting to hurt."

Korra crossed her arms and lifted her eyebrows, smirking at him as Naga curled her neck around the girl. The Avatar patted her side affectionately before striding toward her boyfriend and looping her arms around his neck. "Breakfast."

He curled his arms around her waist. "Thirty yuans says I get there first."

She snorted. "Well that's a crap bet."

Barry grinned and kissed her forehead. "'Cause you know I'll always win."

Korra cocked her head. "That right? Naga."

Immediately, the polar bear dog leapt up and curled her tail around his midsection, then her entire body when Korra pulled away laughing.

"Okay," Barry protested, "that is _not_ fair."

She arched an eyebrow. "Neither is you using superspeed to win a race against us mortals." Korra winked playfully as she sauntered out the door.

"Hey Korra, you _are_ taking Naga with you, right? At some point?"

She just laughed and closed the doors behind her, leaving him with a seven-hundred-pound beast that decided to up and fall asleep—with her body curled around his.

"Korra!"

…

Future Industries Airfield, Republic City

Cisco looked on helplessly as Caitlin tabbed through one article after the next in a box that probably weighed more than his annual salary. One paper after another was laid on her already-littered desk space, report upon report of a burning man seen in various places across Republic City. A crease folded her forehead into wrinkles that Cisco was sure were unhealthy for a woman her age, causing her concerned friend to sigh and roll his eyes before approaching her with a warm box.

"Hey Cate. Brought you something."

She glanced up, concentrated frown still on her face, and motioned to the only empty spot on her desk. "Thanks, Cisco. Just set it down there."

Cisco's lips pursed as he shook his head slowly and did as she asked, marching off to his own space and drawing up a few ideas for a new treadmill. He thought he'd finally solved the power issue that had inhibited the last one from keeping up with Barry, but the sheer energy draw of what he'd have to create would be more than the airfield's power grid could give without running dry. Either he'd have to find a material that could generate more power than he'd ever dreamed, or produce a way to run a frictionless treadmill at over nine-hundred miles an hour.

The distractions could no longer distract him when Caitlin cracked open another box of news articles.

"Okay, Cate," he spouted finally, "you need to stop."

"Stop what?" she asked distractedly.

"This," he said firmly, putting a hand down on the papers before hers could lift one.

Caitlin looked up at him with a cold stare.

"This needs to stop. Ever since that night, you have been… _consumed_ with finding any trace of him."

"So?"

Cisco's lips pursed. "Caitlin…I remember what you went through when Ronnie died, and I don't want to see you suffer—"

She shot to her feet, a smile on her face. "But he _didn't_ , Cisco. He's _alive_. We _both_ saw him."

"Yeah. And he _also_ told us—very specifically— _not_ to go looking for him."

Her head shook, still smiling. "He was confused, scared. He's…different now, I know." She stared off to the side, chewing her lower lip. "Trust me, I know." Her eyes went back up to him, the smile returning. "He was afraid of how I'd see him, but…these past few months, I've—we've run into so many strange things, it didn't even faze me." She shrugged, her smile fading slowly when her friend failed to change his expression. "Cisco, he's my fiancé. I can't just give up on him, not now."

Cisco sighed and nodded slowly. "I understand." He crossed his arms and tipped his chin upward with a reprimanding look. "But you're not doing this anymore."

Caitlin stared at him blankly, jaw wide open.

The engineer snatched up a file from her desk, opening it as he pulled up a rolling chair and slapped it onto his lap. "'Cause it was stupid for you to assume you'd be doing this alone."

A warm smile slowly spread over her features as tears filled her eyes, the woman taking her seat again and getting back to work, both oblivious to their smiling boss off to the side. A few moments later, Asami left them to their work.

As it turned out, Asami had work of her own to do. Since her conversation with Tony, she'd pulled one file after the next in an attempt to verify his information. What little she'd found shocked, if not terrified, her. Since just over ten months previous, the rate of unexplained occurrences and crimes had increased sharply, from freak bending events to natural disasters like the earthquake and tidal wave of the 1/172 terror attacks. Asami glared at a police report dated three months back from somewhere in the west, jaw tightening.

 _Your metahumans have been busy, Reverse._ Her bright green eyes narrowed. _What are you planning?_

…

White Lotus compound, South Pole

"Good to see you taking it slow for once."

Barry looked up at the speaker and grinned. "Some things are worth slowing down for. This bacon, for instance." He lifted another slice into his mouth, releasing an appreciative groan. "Incredible."

Senna let out a quiet laugh as she shook her head. "Nice to be appreciated. Being around family all the time, the praise tends to slow down after a couple years of my cooking."

"Can't imagine why," Barry muttered into another mouthful.

"Mom," Korra said with a shake of her head, "you know I always appreciate your food."

"But you're never home," Senna protested. "And believe me, I understand why. Still, it'd be nice for you to visit a little more often than once a year."

The Avatar smirked and linked her arm with Barry's. "Well, considering I'm dating the fastest man alive, I don't think that'll be a problem."

Barry's smile faded as he said quietly, "Except I'm not."

Every one of the four heads at the table turned to him.

Barry looked up slowly. "I'm not the fastest man alive." He stabbed down into another bacon slice. " _He_ is." He gulped down the last of his breakfast as his jaw tightened and expression turned stony. The speedster rose from the table, fists clenched even as Korra tried to stop him. "I'll be back. Gonna go for a run. Clear my head."

"Barry," Korra protested.

He just waved her off and started running, out of the compound, away from civilization. His winterized clothing held up to the cold, but his jacket couldn't withstand the enormous friction, so it caught on fire less than a minute into his run. He doffed it somewhere between the compound and a massive glacier he ran toward. He ran across the water, in circles, in spirals, in zig-zags, all the while half his mind elsewhere as he just kept running aimlessly. His vision was filled with the Reverse-Flash, and hardly anything but.

The way he'd chased him through Republic City, the confrontation in the pro-bending stadium, his failure at the warehouse. Every time he'd gotten close, the other speedster had been just out of reach, both figuratively and literally. It was maddening, to be so close to justice, so close to the victory he'd always dreamed of growing up, and to have it yanked away by the man who murdered his parents. Anger filled his veins as he kept running, his speed increasing to dangerous levels given the lack of friction in most of the ground around him.

Barry kept on running, his path taking him across the snow-filled landscape of the South Pole, sometimes back toward the compound, sometimes away, until he could barely keep track of where he was. Deciding to be a little more daring, he ran toward the surface of a nearby mountain and made his way up, feet slipping every so often but keeping him moving steadily upward until he was near the peak. To his horror, he suddenly found nothing beneath his feet, and looked down to see that he had stumbled upon a fissure deep in the snow-capped mountain.

Thinking at lightning speed, Barry shot one hand out in front of him, managing to snag a rocky outcropping as his body smacked against the hard stone wall. His feet dangling over a yawning black pit, Barry let out several pained gasps, his other hand snatching a slightly higher handhold as his arms strained to pull him up. He managed to get ten feet higher and slump against a niche in the wall for a brief moment of rest, looking up for a way out of the fissure and finding one only at the peak of the mountain. He'd have to jump from there and hope he landed on a vertical surface he could use to slow his fall.

A long sigh left his lips. _Damn, I'm an idiot._ His head shook rapidly. _What was I thinking? Oh yeah…I_ wasn't _._ He snarled. _Guess I can thank the Reverse-Flash for this one too._ With a snort, he mentally denied that notion. The Reverse-Flash may have defeated him and taken a chunk of his confidence in the process, but he didn't make Barry go off the deep end with little to no regard for his safety. The homicidal speedster had gotten into his head, and he had let him because of his own fear, carried over from childhood into the present day. Felicity had been dead-on with her predictions. After everything, he was still looking at the situation with the eyes of an eleven-year-old, and it was killing him—perhaps literally, given his current circumstances.

Gritting his teeth, Barry started to run up the side of the mountain, using vertical and diagonal surfaces in equal measure as he kept climbing. Finally managing to reach the peak, he crouched and rested there for a moment, just took in his environment. Snow in every direction, the rising sun glinting off its surface and casting a golden glow over the world. The cloudless sky, blue as could be, with the faint light of the southern spirit portal in the distance. The wind that had picked up from the small gusts on the ground, biting its way through his shirt now that he was no longer moving at superspeed.

Barry closed his eyes and took a deep breath to let it all calm his frayed nerves, numb his aching, injured body. Minutes later, the pain stopped altogether, though not entirely due to numbness. He snorted. _Just bruises, I guess._ His ice-blue eyes opened as a sigh left his throat, looking down the side of the mountain to see a twenty-foot gap between him and his path down. Before he could even stand up, a dark dot was seen fast-approaching on the horizon, and he squinted to get a better look.

A relieved huff left his throat as he slumped down against the icy rocks and let his head loll back. Another lighter form set down next to him, a dark, upside-down head coming into his blurry vision a second later and blotting out half the sky. It drew closer as the attached body crouched, her hands going to the sides of his head as her eyes bore into his.

"Barry," she said softly, "don't ever worry me like that again. Please?"

He nodded slowly, reaching up to stroke her paled cheek and pull her lips down against his briefly. She pulled away a second later.

"Now come on. Let's get back."

Korra deployed her airbender staff and held out a hand to her boyfriend, who quickly took it and looped his arms around her midsection. A sly grin came to his face, which she caught and briefly protested before he gave them a running start. In seconds, they were flying through the air faster than she'd ever tried, and with a little airbending, they reached the compound in record time. The moment they touched down, Tonraq and Senna approached the couple with Katara in tow.

"The southern wastes are not to be traveled lightly," Tonraq reprimanded with a wave at his torn clothes.

Barry winced. "Yeah. Found that out the hard way." He looked down sheepishly. "I'm sorry for worrying all of you." His head shook. "It won't happen again."

Katara pushed her way to him, taking both his hands. "Barry…you've suffered an injury for more severe than anything you could have received out in the wastes, and until we find a way to remedy that, this will _continue_ to happen."

He threw his hands up. "Then what do you suggest?"

She fixed him with a firm look. "You believe you can beat this character if you increase your speed?"

He shrugged. "Yeah?"

"And you will find peace once he is apprehended?"

Barry huffed. " _Absolutely_."

A slow smile spread over Katara's features as she shared a look with Tonraq, who then looked to Korra.

"It could work," she said.

"It could," Tonraq agreed.

" _What_ could?" Barry asked, confused.

"I'll see what I can do," the chief said, walking off out of sight.

"What is going on?" He turned to Korra with a puzzled expression.

She smirked and crossed her arms. "We're gonna train you. Avatar style."

His eyebrows shot up. "You mean—"

"Yep."

He looked over to where Tonraq had disappeared to. "And they're—"

Korra smiled wider. "Yep." Her smile turned soft as she approached him, arms curling around his frame. "I remember what you said to Asami and Lin when they insisted you back off and…Barry, this isn't just _your_ fight anymore. The Reverse-Flash is a threat to everyone and everything that's good. If anything, _he_ is the ultimate threat to balance in the world, not you. And we are gonna stop him. Whatever it takes." She drew back and looked in his eyes, arms looped around his neck. "Are you ready to begin?"

Barry smirked and turned his chin up. "So when do we start?"

…

1 week later

Two firebenders set their stances as a water and earthbender did the same, all at separate angles but aiming at the same target. A long breath was exhaled from that target as he sped up his perception and slowed time to a crawl, a mantra repeating in his head for the thousandth time this week.

 _My name is Barry Allen. I am not the fastest man alive._ That _title belongs to the man who murdered my parents._ His eyes narrowed as a malevolent smile came to his features. _But not for long._

With that thought, four pillars of three different elements were sent his way, all of them dodged as he ran past and around their sources. One lap after the next was run around the four White Lotus guards as they sent strike after strike his way, each attack narrowly avoided in a way that allowed him to smoothly transition from one dodge to the next in a red-and-gold blur. As one exercise began to blend into the next, another bender was briefly thrown into the mix, and a strong air current threw off his running pattern, forcing him to adjust. He leapt over an incoming fire blast only to be pelted with rocks the moment his feet hit the ground.

Groaning, he rolled away from a water whip and dodged two more fireballs before sprinting at the firebenders. He fell into a slide when a chunk of earth was thrown his way, kicking out the legs from under a firebender and rising with a windmill once he ground to a stop, his fast-moving legs kicking another in the head. The waterbender sent chunks of ice his way, two of them dodged before a third was snatched out of the air and returned to the sender at eighty miles an hour. The fast-moving projectile pinned the guard to the wall by his sleeve, leaving only one bender left to bring down.

Of course, this was the one bender who had been consistently giving him trouble since this "training" had begun, and now that his three fellow benders had been eliminated from the match, he had no friendly fire to worry about. Two chunks of high-velocity earth streaked toward him, dodged by rather narrow margins as Barry circled around the guard. Predicting this strategy, the earthbender sent an earth wall rising in his path. Barry crashed directly into it, shattering the rock and rolling to a stop with a pained groan, slowly rising to all fours as his eyes locked onto the earthbender.

He heard a familiar voice ask, "Why isn't he running away?" from the sidelines.

A malevolent smirk came to his face as he stayed in a crouch to make himself look vulnerable to his opponent. A few seconds later, he took the bait, popping a long rock projectile from the ground and shooting it in Barry's direction. Instead of dodging to the side or away, the Flash charged straight at it, his opponent's eyes widening as he spun mid-step, leaning into the projectile as he tucked it against his side. He kept spinning at superspeed, redirecting the rock in a slingshot motion—right into his opponent's chest. It shattered on contact, sending the trainer flying back into a wall as a satisfied smirk rose to Barry's features.

He took a moment to bask in his victory before the sounds of applause rose from the sidelines and a familiar laugh was heard. He turned to see three new dark-haired forms smiling down at him.

"Quite a show," Asami laughed as he ran up to the spectator stands surrounding the compound's bending arena and pulled off his cowl. "You've certainly been keeping busy."

Barry shrugged and grinned. "You know me. Can't stay still to save my life." He looked between the members of his team. "So what are you guys doing here? Something tells me this isn't a social call if you took the airship." He nodded at the vessel in question, just outside the compound.

Asami's smile dampened, and she slowly turned to Cisco, who handed her a thick brief with several smaller folders inside. In turn, she handed it to Barry. "You're needed, Flash."

The speedster warily took the file and flipped through its contents page by page, his eyes widening. "This is—"

"Bad?"

" _Really_ bad." He looked over at Korra, who had the same grim expression as Asami's face. Evidently, she'd heard about this before him. "How many are there?"

"At least six," Asami replied. "Probably more. These are only the reports we've managed to confirm."

Barry frowned. "Why come to me now?"

"What?"

"To find all this out, you would've had to be compiling this list for _weeks_ , so you've known about these metahumans for a while. Why come down here now?"

Asami's expression hardened. "Because we found one. Or, rather, _four_."

His eyes shot wide open.

She pulled one folder from the brief. "The Mardon brothers, professional criminals who used their bending abilities to commit major crimes in cities across the continent. Now that they've been enhanced—and added their youngest brother, Clyde, to the crew as an airbender—they're unstoppable."

He looked over the file again. "So let me get this straight. These four Mardon Brothers somehow have parentage allowing them to control all four elements."

"And now that their abilities have been magnified, let's just say they're getting creative with combinations." She pointed him to several recent photos of lightning strikes, hailstorms, and sandstorms, all extremely damaging, all designed to cover for other crimes. "They're calling themselves the 'Weather Wizards.'"

Barry snorted. "Catchy."

"I'm a little pissed I didn't come up with it myself," Cisco admitted.

The speedster managed a smile at the comment, then slapped the folder closed with a sigh. He looked over at his girlfriend, then at Tonraq, who had been overseeing his training.

"Your abilities to process and respond at superspeed have improved," the older man admitted.

Barry's head shook. "I'm still not fast enough."

"But you _will_ be," Korra insisted, putting a hand on his arm. "Right now, Republic City needs you."

"It's time for the Flash to return home," Asami added.

Barry took a slow breath, closing his eyes and seeing the man in yellow once more. His jaw tightened as he looked down at the brief. Those were his creations, his mad work. Somehow, he'd taken already dangerous criminals and made them even worse. A firm set came to his jaw. _I may not be able to stop_ him _—not yet, anyway—but I can sure as hell stop_ them _._

He looked back up at Asami and nodded once. She smiled and nodded to Cisco.

"I'll get the airship ready for takeoff," the engineer said with a grin.

Asami put a hand on Barry's shoulder. "Thankyou, Bear."

He smiled. "Anything for you."

When she left for the airship, his smile faded and he took a long breath, facing the arena. A pair of warm arms wrapped around him from behind, soft lips pressing to the side of his neck.

"You can do this, Barry. I believe in you."

"That makes one of us."

"I'll always have your back. All of us will."

He nodded slowly. "I know. In the end, though…there's one enemy no one can help me against. The worst opponent I'll ever have to face."

"I know."

His head shook. "No, you don't. Because I'm not talking about the Reverse-Flash." He faced her. "I'm talking about me."

Korra's lips parted slightly as understanding washed over her features and she nodded. Her lips pressed to his in a lingering kiss, slowly deepening as their eyes closed, the simple touch communicating a world of feelings and promises neither of them could convey in words. When they finally broke apart, the cloud that had fallen over Barry since the confrontation with his parents' killer not only lifted, it dispersed into nothingness. A wide grin came to his face.

"Come on," he said, nodding toward the shore. "We've got an airship to beat."

She blinked twice. "Wait, what?"

Barry laughed and pulled his mask back on as he vanished briefly, then returned with Korra and his bags over his shoulders. Her feet were off the ground a second later, her body cradled in his arms as Tonraq just stared. Barry flipped him a two-fingered salute before taking off toward the water, a dumbstruck Team Flash staring at his rapidly fading form as his laughter carried to them on the wind. Asami just smiled and shook her head.

* * *

AN: Sorry for the relatively late update. Been a bit busy with setting up something of a joint story with my chief reviewer Vergil1989. We're hoping to get it started soon. It'll be mostly his domain, with only the general plot of major events decided beforehand. Specifically, his story, as yet untitled, will be the Arrow side of this universe, told from the perspective of Oliver Queen and Team Arrow in their home city of Ba Sing Se. Hope you enjoyed this intermediate chapter and a proper introduction to metahumans. Next chapter will be the start of the Weather Wizards arc, with a special cameo from a character we've seen here before. Hope you're all enjoying the way this is turning out so far. Like I said, there's loads more I'm bringing to the table, so stay informed.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	18. Imbalanced

Imbalanced (adj.): lacking the proper counterweight or force to maintain a desirable equilibrium; lopsided, either physically or figuratively.

1 hour later

Republic City

8 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

Lookouts on the Yue Bay lighthouse spotted a red blur coming toward the shore and shouted to one another as it came toward the city, sounds of cheers and applause coming from the building as it ran past. A smile slowly came to Barry's face as his head shook.

"It's nice to be appreciated," he chuckled.

Korra slowly shook her head, a smile on her face as she considered the events of the day. It had started out perfectly normal, well, normal for them, anyway: heavy breakfast, a brief period of socialization, and training. The latter had been interrupted by an old friend sending a message of warning, which Barry heeded and decided to act on immediately. Of course, Korra had never expected him to pick her up and run _all the way_ to Republic City in a matter of _one hour_ , but then, since when had her boyfriend ever been predictable? Frankly, she couldn't believe it. Crossing half the world in less than an hour?

Up until eight months ago, she'd thought the fastest someone could run a mile was four minutes, not four seconds, much less while carrying someone and several dozen pounds of luggage. Korra had known Barry was fast, but to see his abilities applied over such a large distance? It was impossible, and honestly, she _loved_ it. It wasn't just the fact that he could move at extreme speeds, it was his ethic, his moral code, the compass that drove him to help others like herself that sometimes made her want to take him somewhere quiet and tear his clo—

Her eyes snapped wide open as heat filled her face. _I did_ not _just—_

"Say, dear, you've just turned a lovely shade of red," Barry teased. "Care explaining why?"

She blinked at him owlishly before frowning. "No," she replied flatly, turning back toward the city, which was rapidly approaching.

Barry chuckled, the rumble of his chest felt at her shoulder. "Okay."

Korra stayed silent for the rest of the trip to the airfield, trying desperately to ignore the heat spreading over her entire body from his pressed against her back. The moment they reached the command center, he set her down, and she retreated down another hall.

"Whoa, Korra, you okay?" he asked concernedly.

"Bathroom," she answered in a clipped tone, entering the room in question and locking the door behind her a second later. The moment she was alone, Korra slumped onto a seat, taking several deep breaths and shaking her head.

 _What is_ wrong _with me? I'm never this—_ Her eyes narrowed. _Wait._ A quick count in her head sent a groan coming from her throat. _Well that's just perfect._ She stomped out of the bathroom a minute later, a slight scowl on her face as she approached the command center and a very confused Barry.

"Korra?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine. It's just…" she snarled, " _that_ time of the month."

"Huh?"

She arched an eyebrow at him. "You're joking, right?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he admitted.

Korra slowly shook her head. "Well, I'm sorry, but I will _not_ be explaining that one. Ask Mako if you're concerned."

Barry looked at her confusedly, but eventually shrugged with a sigh. "I might as well, seeing as how I don't even know where to start with this whole metahuman search. Startin' to think it was a mistake coming ahead of the others."

She rolled her eyes and took a seat. "Barry, before you were the Flash, you were a CSI, and _smart_."

He arched an eyebrow "So?"

"So do what you've been doing for years. Work the evidence, see what you can dig up. Asami's file said the Mardon brothers have been hitting targets all across the city, mostly banks. Can you find a pattern from that, maybe predict where they're gonna hit next?"

Barry shrugged. "Maybe, but I'd need a closer look at the police file."

"Which would require you to go to the station."

"Which is a perfect opportunity to ask Mako about that thing you mentioned." His brows furrowed. "Which I still don't understand why you won't explain to me."

Korra snorted. "Trust me, you will."

…

10 minutes later

Police HQ, Republic City

"Barry! I didn't know you'd gotten back yet."

The CSI grinned as the station welcomed him back, Mako slapping him with an animated hug as he returned it. "I just got here."

"Long trip?"

He shrugged and smirked. "Not as long as you'd think." Barry glanced around the bullpen as everyone got back to work one by one, only Mako sticking around.

"So, first day back, you're already lookin' to get to work? Doesn't sound like you had much of a vacation."

Barry's smile vanished. "Vacations are for relaxing. Given the circumstances here when I left…I didn't feel too relaxed."

Mako sighed. "I hear that." A frown creased his features. "Look…I'm sorry."

Barry shrugged. "For what?"

The detective paced. "For not catching him. The Reverse-Flash, I mean. I know what bringin' that bastard down means to you, and I thought…if I could help…"

Barry smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Wasn't your fault. From what I hear, your team never even stood a chance."

"Yeah…if it wasn't for the Flash…"

"Don't even think about it, man."

"How can I not? I mean, he's been noticeably absent for the last three weeks since the incident. If that yellow-suited freak comes back—"

Barry's head shook. "The Flash will stop him."

Mako arched a curious eyebrow. "You sure have a lot of faith in a man you've never met."

The CSI smiled. "He's saved this city and my best friend. Best _friends_. That says a lot in my book."

The detective smiled and nodded. "Right."

"Back already, Allen?"

Barry turned and grinned. "Hey, Chief. Miss me?"

The gray-haired woman arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Only because your sub has no idea what he's doing. What brings you back so soon?"

He sighed and shrugged, exchanging a look with Mako. "I guess I know when I'm needed. Heard you've been having a problem with bank robbers lately. Thought I might be able to find a pattern."

"The Mardon brothers," Mako groaned. "Ugh, I must've sorted through that nightmare case about a dozen times over the last week, and I still can't find a connection between any of their targets."

"Let _me_ have a crack at it. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is all you need."

The detective passed him the folder. "Help yourself. I gotta go take care of another case quick. Just return that file to my desk when you're done."

Barry nodded once, then opened the file and started poring over it, noting absently that Lin was still standing next to him. He looked up. "What?"

"What's the real reason you came back so soon? It's a twelve-day ship ride to the South Pole, which means you only spent eight days there, _maybe_ nine."

He shrugged. "I got what I needed."

She arched a questioning eyebrow. "Which was?"

Barry pursed his lips as he stared at the file and mug shots of the four brothers. "Clarity." He slapped the file closed and looked up. "I know what I have to do, and it doesn't involve sulking on the other side of the world."

A small smirk played over her lips as she nodded slowly. "Good to have you back, Allen."

"Oh, hey Barry!"

Barry turned toward an approaching Mako.

"You think you can run this up to your lab quick? I need a chemical analysis done."

"Yeah, sure." He glanced between the chief and the detective. "Hey, do you either of you know what it means when a girl says it's 'that time of the month'?"

Mako's eyes went wide as saucers as his face reddened and Lin's eyebrows shot up. The chief promptly shot a look at the detective before turning away and throwing her hands up.

"You're on your own with this one, kid."

Shooting Beifong a betrayed look, Mako slowly turned back to Barry and put an arm around his shoulder as he led him up to the lab, ignoring the occasional snickers of the cops they passed. He waited until they were out of sight and hearing to speak. "Barry…before I answer that question, tell me something…who said that to you?"

The CSI's eyebrows furrowed as he shrugged. "Korra. I haven't been around anyone else."

Mako let out a sharp breath, running his free hand through his hair. "Okay…okay, this is bad. This is very, very bad."

"What?" Barry asked, alarmed. "What's wrong?"

The firebender fixed him with a horrified look. "Everything. When this happens…" He sighed. "Just come here."

Mako whispered in Barry's ear for the better part of a minute, the latter's eyes widening progressively as he was slowly but surely infected with the detective's look of sheer horror. When all was said and done, Barry's hands were nearly shaking as he backed away from his friend.

"You mean—"

"Yep."

"And she—"

"Yeah."

Barry breathed out hard, running his hands through his hair. "Oh…this is bad."

"Yeah."

He faced Mako, panic written all over his features. "Advice?"

"If you two weren't together? Run. But since you are—I'm gonna go with 'be angelic.'"

Barry's brows furrowed. "Wha?"

"For the next week or so, you have to be a saint. Do whatever she tells you, get her flowers, chocolate, anything she asks for."

Barry sputtered a few times. "Mako, seriously? Overreacting much?"

His head shook slowly. "I used to date her, remember?"

The CSI paled slightly. "Oh."

"Yeah. Far as I know, I'm the only other guy who's seen her like that firsthand, and, well…not pretty."

"I-I got it," Barry stammered with a rapid nod. A long sigh left his throat. "Compared to what you just told me, catching a couple of bank robbers sounds like a cakewalk."

"Not with these guys." He looked over Barry's shoulder, frowning at the file. "The Weather Wizards. Lousy bunch of crooks with hyped-up bending, but if that were their only leg up, I think we would've gotten 'em by now. Their real advantage is this guy." His index fell onto a photo of an older brother, his grim face covered in scruff. "Mark Mardon. Lightning bender. He's the brains of the operation. Picks out all their jobs, comes up with the plans. Because of Mark, the Wizards have either been in and out of their target locations before police could arrive, or when we _do_ get there, they effectively create a natural disaster to cover their escape. Last time they conjured almost hurricane-level winds and threw chunks of ice in there, created a hailstorm that left over a dozen injured, including cops."

Barry's head shook slowly as he sorted through the crime scene photos. "They're not afraid to kill."

"Not in the slightest," Mako confirmed. "In fact, the youngest, Clyde? He seems to enjoy it."

A disbelieving huff. "Kid's gotta be around my age. What the hell does it say about a family when taking a life is commonplace?"

"That their parents should never have been allowed to reproduce?"

Barry just shrugged and stayed silent, poring over the details of the case for several minutes as Mako looked around his lab.

"So, how _was_ the trip? I mean, other than not relaxing?"

Barry blinked and looked up, shrugging. "Was fine. Got to see the compound, which was…really cool, actually. Place was disguised to look like just another glacier when seen from anywhere other than up high."

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Mako was silent a while. "What about you and Korra? You two doing okay?"

The CSI frowned and shrugged. "Yeah. We're…fine. Why do you ask?"

Mako shrugged. "No reason. Just…you know…checkin' up. You two are some of my closest friends. Reason enough to be concerned, ya know?"

Barry smiled a little and nodded, turning back to the file.

"I don't want either of you to get hurt. Because after everything you've lived through, you both deserve to be happy."

He smiled wider. "I appreciate that." Barry turned his attention to one of the heists, a robbery just six blocks from the station, where a massive sandstorm blanketed several blocks of the city. Based on the aerial photos from police airships, however, he noticed something peculiar. "Hey Mako."

"What's up?"

"See this?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there anything of interest in this area?" He pointed to the focal point of the storm. "Maybe an abandoned building or something?"

Mako's brows furrowed as he reached over into a cabinet and pulled up a municipal map of the city. "It's something, all right. Check this out—sewer maintenance access, barely a block from that location. No wonder they're so good at avoiding us. They've been using the tunnels to make their escape."

"Just like Snart."

A small groan came from the detective. "You don't really think he's back in town, do you?"

"I really, _really_ hope not." He looked over photos and maps from the other robberies and pursed his lips. "Maybe if we can find something at one of their entry points, we can get a clue to where they go after a heist."

"Though you yourself said the odds of finding anything viable decrease once you enter a sewer."

Barry shrugged. "Yeah. At this point, though, it's all we got to work off." He slapped the file closed and handed it to Mako. "Thanks for giving me a look."

"Hey, anytime." He smirked. "Honestly, if I didn't think Chief would ream me out for even suggesting it, I'd put you in for a detective shield. You're pretty good at it."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Wait, what?"

"Come on, Bear, it's a compliment—"

"No, what was that about the chief?"

"Oh…nothing, just that she seems kinda…protective."

Barry shrugged. "Since when?"

Mako's mouth hung open silently for a few seconds before he wagged a finger at Barry. "I'm gonna leave that one to you. If she ever finds out I told you that, she'll skin me alive."

Barry just stared after him for a few moments as he walked away, brows furrowed in confusion as his head slowly shook. Finally, he huffed and went down one floor, reaching Lin's office a minute later and quietly knocking on the door.

"Come in," her voice answered.

He opened the door quietly, stepping inside and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

She looked up silently and arched an eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"

"What?"

"Well, at least you're not running for the hills. Tenzin almost did when he found out."

Barry blinked rapidly, head shaking. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

Lin rolled her eyes and sighed. "Do I really have to spell it out?" She made air quotes. "'That time of the month'?"

His jaw dropped a bit. "Oh…that." He chuckled nervously as his face filled with color, hand scratching the back of his head. "Yeah…I'm considering it. Running, that is." He looked up, a wry smirk on his face. "Though it wouldn't take all that long to run back," he added with a wink.

Lin rolled her eyes and sighed again, harder this time as her fingers massaged her temples. "Is there a reason you came in here?"

"I think I found a way to track down the Mardon brothers. According to aerial photos and eyewitness accounts, the artificial meteorological events that they've conjured have been centered around certain blocks of the city. I cross-checked those blocks with city maps, and it turns out every one of them was near a sewer or some kind of underground access point."

Her green eyes brightened as a smirk played over her features. "Perfect. Next time they show their faces, that little disappearing act won't quite play to their advantage. Good work, Allen."

"Thank you, ma'am." He hovered nearby, shifting from one foot to another.

Lin arched an eyebrow. "Something else?"

"Well…I was thinking..." His hands went in his pockets. "What would you think about me becoming a detective?"

Her green eyes immediately locked onto his form, narrowing as her lips pressed into a thin line. "No," she said flatly, focus returning to the paperwork on her desk.

"No? That's it? No reasoning, no cause?"

Her fingers stopped moving.

"I mean, it's not like I particularly _want_ to be a detective, but…I'm just curious as to why—"

She looked up at him. "Because it would put you at risk."

He shrugged. "So? I'm the Flash. I don't think it gets much riskier than that."

Lin leaned back in her seat, arms crossed. "Maybe not, but unlike the Flash, detectives can't keep their identities secret. The crooks they put away can and do come after them. You already experienced that once, with Blackout."

He winced.

"I'm not willing to expose you to even greater harm." Her expression was dead serious and just a little hard. She shrugged. "Besides, you're the best damn CSI we've got. Losing you would be losing a great part of the force's assets."

Barry nodded slowly, a smile trying to push its way onto his face despite his best efforts. "Got it, Chief. Thanks." He turned for the door.

"Wait," she said sharply. "My turn to ask a question." Lin leaned across her desk, eyes locked onto his form. "Why did this come up?"

He met her gaze and shrugged. "Just something a friend suggested."

Her arms crossed. "And does this 'friend' know about your…situation?"

Barry's head shook.

"I see. Well, the answer is no."

He nodded and smiled briefly. "Got it. Thanks, Chief."

She grunted softly, attention returning to her paperwork as he filed out the door. Her eyes drifted up to the empty space for a few moments before she sighed and cleared her head of distractions.

…

2 hours later

Future Industries Airfield

Korra groaned in frustration as she sorted through the cupboards of the Future Industries mess hall for the umpteenth time. _Twenty times checking the stash, and_ no meat _?! What kind of cafeteria_ is _this?_ A quick blast of wind barely reached her consciousness as she slammed another pantry door closed.

"Korra? You okay?"

She whirled fast, immediately marching toward the voice's source and grabbing his arm as she half-dragged him toward the door. "I need meat, Barry. Lots of it." She held his arms, staring up at his wide eyes. "Right. Now."

The Flash rapidly nodded. "Just gimma a sec—" he was gone for a moment, "—to get changed." Barry was once again clad in his usual jacketed attire, one arm going around her shoulders as he held her closer.

A low hum came from her throat as she leaned into him, eyes closing as she greedily took in his warmth, looping her arms around his midsection and holding him tightly. A shuddering breath left her throat as they walked out of the building, her face pressing firmly into his jacket. _Barry. Warmth. Chest._ Another long hum as she nuzzled his torso, withdrawing briefly when she felt something tickling her face. She looked up at him in confusion to see him grin sheepishly.

"Oops."

Korra arched an eyebrow. "Vibrating?"

"Yeah."

Her lips slowly stretched as her face once again pressed into his chest, his arms picking her up bridal style as hers looped around his neck. They zipped away from the airfield at massive speeds, but she wasn't paying attention. Even her stomach didn't seem to be protesting anymore. When her face angled up toward his neck, nose brushing it, she pressed her lips there firmly, lingering for a few seconds and blinking when they skidded to a stop. Korra blinked up at him owlishly as his breathing became heavy.

"Barry?"

He blinked rapidly, eyes slowly dragging themselves over to her face as he let out a sharp breath. "That's really distracting," he said quietly.

Korra chuckled softly into his shoulder. "Sorry…" A smile slowly spread over her features. "Though maybe I'm not that kind of hungry anymore."

Instantly, he began sputtering incoherently and reddening to the point that she began to doubt that he was breathing. As it turned out, he was breathing just a little too fast, because a second later, they were flying across the city at blinding speeds, their trip ending briefly in an alley next to a restaurant before she was moving again before she could figure out what was going on. Minutes later, they were back at the airfield. Korra fixed her boyfriend with a questioning look that lingered until he held up five boxes of takeout.

The moment he cracked one open was the first moment she could remember herself actually drooling, both as she snatched the nearest box from his hands and as she sloppily dug in with absolutely zero regard for table manners. It was a good five minutes before she was again coherent enough to observe her surroundings, and by that time, two other boxes of food were already done. Korra looked up at Barry, the younger man freezing in his tracks, chopsticks halfway to his mouth.

"What?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You're trying to distract me."

He arched an eyebrow. "From?"

She set the box down and slowly approached his chair. "From what I _really_ want."

"W-Why would I do that?"

Her arms slowly linked around his neck. "I can't imagine."

Before he could protest, Korra's lips were on his, constantly pressing and releasing as her eyes closed and breathing became heavier. After just one sampling of this, she couldn't find it in herself to stop, and though it felt somewhat reluctant, he began to respond in kind. If she were being honest, maybe it wasn't a good idea to avoid this kind of closeness for as long as they did, since her…urges were only being intensified by the crazy hormones running through her system. Korra slipped away from all track of time, of consciousness, as she lost herself in him, hands roaming, lips pressing, heat _everywhere_. It was uncontrollable, uncontainable, and—

Her eyes snapped open as their lips parted. _Whoa, what was—_

"Uh, m-maybe we should slow down," Barry stammered.

Korra blinked at him several times. "What was that?" She leaned in again. "That was amazing."

He gently pushed her back. "It uh…Cisco and Cate warned me that if I, uh…got too excited…my powers could kick in at random times."

She arched an eyebrow, a smirk coming to her face. "Well, in this case, I can say unequivocally that that's a good thing."

Another lean, another push. "Korra, wait, just…wait." He breathed heavily and rapidly several dozen times within the space of a minute.

A concerned frown coming to her face, she gently stroked his hair. "What's wrong?"

He screwed his eyes up, shaking his head slightly and finally pushing her off of him, then withdrawing a couple feet as he kept breathing.

A little hurt, she wrapped her arms around her midsection. "Barry?" she asked softly.

"I just…need a second." He sighed hard about a minute later, approaching her carefully. "Korra…I'm sorry. I know _exactly_ how you're feeling right now, because I feel the same way...but with my powers, with everything we just don't know, it's too dangerous to keep going much further."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh," she said quietly.

He grabbed her arms. "So, I promise we will get back to that sometime, but preferably not when we're both too hopped up to stop ourselves if anything goes wrong. Because trust me—" his eyes darkened as his gaze swept over her, "—there's no way I want to stop."

She stared at him for a while, worry and disappointment warring within her, before nodding once and hugging him. "Okay. When we do figure this out, though…tell me you won't hold back."

"No promises," he chuckled. "There are certain things your dad would kill me for."

Korra snorted a laugh, her arms tightening around him. "Right."

She just stood there in his arms, face pressed into his chest with his warmth enveloping her, and smiled. Their moment was disrupted when a loud blare came from the control center's main console, Barry releasing her to zip over and thumb it on.

"All units," a voice said over the radio, "we have a robbery in progress at Twelfth and Main, please respond."

Barry arched an eyebrow at her. "To be continued?"

Before he could protest, she pulled his lips to hers and kept it there for a full two seconds. "What do you think?"

He let out a ragged breath as he made for his suit. "I think I might just be a little distracted on this mission."

She just grinned and held onto him as he picked her up and ran out the door.

…

3 minutes later

Republic City, Financial District

The metahuman couple skidded to a stop just one block away from the crisis zone as two nonbending cops were tossed through the air like ragdolls. The Avatar and the Flash exchanged a look before running toward the bank, one at blinding speed, the other taking a longer way around. Korra shot metal cables onto the roof of an adjacent building and pulled herself on top, into a bird's-eye view as sand and lightning shot out of the bank. A red blur shot inside as her eyes narrowed, the Avatar crouching down and watching carefully before putting a finger to her ear.

"Barry, lure them outside. Get them away from any collateral damage."

There was no response for a few seconds, and then two dirty blonde men sprinted out of the building, one throwing a long icicle toward something inside, the other starting a getaway car. With a long exhale, Korra leapt from the building and pulled her airbender staff from her back, deploying it and gliding toward the vehicle, then dropping like a rock as her right hand curled into a fist. The driver evidently saw her before impact, because he scrambled out just before her arm caved in the vehicle's roof.

The man previously inside was recognized a moment later as Gabriel Mardon, the sandbending member of the crew. His backup, the waterbending brother Trey, shifted his aim to Korra the moment he saw the car get demolished, and together they launched one attack after the next on her. Exhaling sharply, she shot herself twenty feet up with an air blast, then punched two fireballs in their direction before rolling on contact with the ground. An icicle was thrown, dodged, and deconstructed as she used the water to trip Gabriel before he could counterattack, then smack Trey across the jaw.

Snarling, the waterbender reached over toward a nearby fire hydrant and increased the pressure inside the tank as his brother recovered and sent two earth projectiles in her direction. Catching onto his intentions, Korra weaved around another earth strike and shot a fireball into his face, only a quick conjuring of a sand cloud saving him from getting burned. She then reached over and metalbent the hydrant, increasing the density of the metal at every side except one—the side pointed at Trey. As a result, once enough pressure was built to release the water, it all exploded in Trey's direction at a startling velocity that sent him careening into what was left of their car.

Smirking, Korra turned her attention to Gabriel, who was launching one earth strike after the next until he actually had her on the run. Flipping backward and sending herself back up with an air blast to avoid an earth pillar, Korra shot a cable from her suit and wrapped it around one of Gabriel's arms. When her feet hit the ground, she pulled hard, both physically and with her bending, and the man flew straight into her outstretched fist with a satisfying crack. Dazed, the two bank robbers struggled to get to their feet even as two metal cables wrapped around their wrists, sections of them detaching to form cuffs.

Gabriel sneered at her. "Thought you were supposed to be weak."

Korra crossed her arms smugly, arching an eyebrow. "According to whom?"

The brothers exchanged a look before their expressions darkened.

Her eyes widened slightly. "So he _is_ the one pulling your strings."

"Hey, nobody pulls the Weather Wizards anywhere they don't wanna go!"

"But he gave you the idea to do this," she said, motioning to the bank, "and enhanced your bending. Didn't he?"

They were silent. She discovered the reason for this when an agonized shriek was torn from her throat, her legs collapsing even as another blurry form landed next to the cuffed brothers. Korra blinked rapidly as the form ignited the area around his index finger, melting off their cuffs and hauling them to their feet. When they started walking toward a now-empty squad car, she pushed herself upright and sluggishly ran after them only to hit the ground a second later when a massive gust of air pummeled her back.

Rolling face-up as fast as she could, Korra's eyes widened when she saw Clyde Mardon standing above her on a light post, a kunai held in his left hand as his right kept another suspended on an air current. A flick of his wrist sent the weapon flying toward her, and only a barrel-roll triggered by years of training and instinct saved her from being skewered. Of course, he had a second one to throw, which he did. That one managed to graze her shoulder, though not enough to stop her from catapulting herself into the air and fire-blasting Clyde from his perch. The scruffy teenager yelped as he fell, recovering with a downward air-blast, then sending another in her direction.

The attack threw off her descent arc, but she recovered easily and countered his air currents with a few of her own, distracting him with a double-fisted air blast while her right foot stomped once, an earth pillar slamming into his back and catapulting him toward her waiting fist. Her strike never landed, since a second later, she found herself standing twenty feet from her last location, a pair of familiar arms around her.

"Barry, what—"

"Mark—lightning bolt—from behind." He pointed toward the bank. "They're escaping in that squad car."

Korra nodded once, then deployed an air scooter and gave chase with the Flash running alongside the vehicle as it turned down an alleyway. She tried to follow, but the moment she entered the narrow side street, a massive sandstorm filled the air, and she was blinded long enough for her to impact with an overturned dumpster—hard. A red-clad form was beside her in a second as she groaned, her body throbbing in multiple locations.

"Korra—"

She pointed in the direction of the fleeing vehicle and ordered, "Go."

Pursing his lips, the Flash frowned but nodded once, and then he was gone.

…

 _They're gonna regret that,_ Barry promised as he ran up alongside the hijacked squad car, taking stock of the four men inside and noticing an empty front passenger seat. Snarling, he crashed through the front-right window, landing in the seat and staring briefly as the driver, Mark, locked his eyes onto him in shock, left hand rising with two fingers beginning to point at him. Thinking fast, Barry reached over and grabbed the steering wheel, yanking it to the right hard, then ejecting via the window he'd come in. He watched the car topple and roll to a stop, completely overturned and damn near totaled, as its four occupants scrambled out of the operable doors.

As the four of them turned to face him, their respective elements at the ready, Barry's fist clenched, and he charged straight for Mark. Faster than he could reach them, Trey summoned a massive stream of water from a nearby manhole, which Mark then bathed in flames. The resulting steam and fog blinded Barry just enough for him to miss his target—and give them a perfect one. Two large rocks slammed into his side as an air blast sent him flying toward a brick wall. Pushing off on contact, he tried to circle around the perimeter, maybe disperse the fog with air currents, but Clyde countered him with a few of his own as his brothers kept up the assault.

An ice shard nicked his arm, and an earth wall he didn't see because of the fog was broken through, an innumerable amount of bruising done to his body in that one impact alone, much less the lightning bolt that struck his left leg. Groaning, Barry collapsed to the pavement, his suit torn and burned, eyes turning upward to see Mark stalking out of the fog. The lightning bender stopped in front of him, then knelt, a grim expression on his face.

"You're the Flash, right?"

Barry just breathed heavily.

Mark nodded to him. "Take some free advice, kid. Don't get in our way again."

He snorted. "I've heard that before," he ground out. "Didn't take then, either."

The sounds of approaching sirens briefly got Mark's attention as a police vehicle attempted to ram the firebender. It crashed into and flipped over a rock wall deployed just in time by Gabriel, its front completely smashed and crumpled. Angling his body sideways, Mark outstretched a hand and fired a lightning bolt from his fingers, hitting the car's gas tank and causing an instant explosion that consumed the vehicle and anyone still inside. Barry could only watch in horror, the agony overcoming any willpower he had to get up and beat the eldest Mardon brother senseless.

Mark crouched down again, looking the speedster dead in the eye. "It's not just you on the chopping block, freak. It's everyone else. And that?" He nodded toward the burning car. "That's a damn pinprick compared to what we'll do the next time you interfere." He stood, his brothers crowding around him menacingly. "So stay the hell out of our way."

In a cloud of rapidly expanding fog, the Mardon brothers vanished from the street, taking the unnatural weather with them. Groaning loudly, Barry forced himself to stand, one hand clutching his injured leg as he limped over to the vehicle and fell to his knees. The speedster could only stare at the flames, at the charred corpse inside, and despair.

"Barry," a quiet voice said.

He gulped.

"Barry, look at me. Look at _me_."

Slowly, he obeyed, wincing as Korra crouched down next to him and took his masked face in her hands.

"This isn't your fault. Do you understand? No—Barry—listen…it's not your fault. This is on _them_. Only them."

He nodded slowly, though no sense of absolution set in. Her words were meaningless. A man was dead because he failed. No words could change that. Nothing she said as they limped into an alley, or as he finally managed to recover enough to carry her back to the airfield and change, or as they stood on the bluff overlooking the city, the girl trying to get him out of his despondency. He didn't say a word for a full half hour, until finally he just couldn't take it anymore.

"It may not be my fault, Korra, but I'm still responsible." He turned to her. "Those men—those _monsters_ were created because of _me_ , by a man who hates _me_ , to oppose _me_." He exhaled sharply and shook his head. "If it weren't for the Flash, none of this would've happened."

Korra's arms went around his neck as she frowned. "And if it weren't for the Flash, I'd still be in a wheelchair—alone. You have to find solace—"

"In the ones I saved," he interrupted agitatedly, pushing her away, "and not obsess over the ones I lost, yeah, I know. Problem is, this could've been avoided if I'd just thought ahead. I _knew_ they were an experienced crew, used to working together in a way I've never seen, and I still rushed in. It was so _stupid_."

"Then you learn from it, and move on."

Barry faced her, mouth slightly open, and shook his head. "I can't." He shrugged. "I can't do this."

Korra blinked hard, alarm filling her features. "Barry—"

"I'll be back," he said quickly before taking off into the distance.

The last thing Korra saw of him was a red-gold blur speeding away from Republic City and vanishing into the eastern horizon.

…

40 minutes later

"So that's the whole story. After he escaped, I went away for a while, trying to figure some stuff out, recover. I finally thought I had it sorted, that I could…do this…but I don't know. I don't know if I can live with the consequences of being the Flash."

The listening party looked out over his ringed, tiered city, then slowly turned to his rooftop guest. "So why come to me?" He smirked. "Something tells me you didn't just run six hundred miles to say hi to a friend."

Barry's lips pursed. "Ever since that night seven years ago, I've wanted to do more, _be_ more. Now I am, and I came up against the _one_ thing that I've spent every one of those years preparing to face, and I failed, just like he said I would. And…I thought I could move on from it, learn from it, grow stronger, but my _first_ day back, the first time I try to help since then, and I screw up." He grimaced and looked away. "I was chasin' down a bad guy—bunch of 'em, actually, and I made a mistake. Someone died." He gulped hard, facing his audience. "So if I can't even beat his creations, how can I ever hope to beat _him_?"

Oliver sighed hard and shook his head. "Sounds to me like this is exactly what he wants: you, uncertain, doubting yourself. The fact is, Barry…if you're gonna do this, you are _going_ to make mistakes." He looked down and smiled sadly, jaw tightening as he looked back up. "I've made mistakes." His expression hardened. "But the good you do will far outweigh the bad."

Barry huffed and shrugged. "I'm not like you, Oliver. I don't know if I can keep being this…vigilante."

The Arrow shook his head. " _I_ know the answer to that. You can't."

Barry stared at him confusedly.

Oliver smiled. "Because you never were. You're better. Because you can inspire people…in a way that I never could. Watching over your city like a guardian angel, making a difference, saving people…" he smirked wryly, "in a flash."

Barry grinned and chuckled as his head shook.

Oliver also laughed quietly. "Bad puns aside, you know I'm right."

Barry's expression sobered, and he nodded slowly with a sigh.

"Republic City needs a hero. Are you gonna give it one? Or is the Reverse-Flash gonna take that too?"

Barry's ice-blue eyes locked onto his as a fiery look entered them. "What do you think?"

Oliver just smiled and nodded, pulling up his hood and marching toward the edge of the roof.

"Hey Oliver," the speedster called.

He stopped mid-step to look back.

"You really _should_ wear a mask."

The billionaire grinned and shook his head as he made for the side again. "One thing at a time, Barry. We can't all change as fast as you."

Barry chuckled and shook his head, then stared as Oliver leapt off the side of the building, rushing to the edge to see him fly up another on a reeling cable. He breathed out and grinned. "Cool."

As the Flash left Ba Sing Se to return to his own city, the Arrow looked at his lightning-trailed blur from his perch on the side of a building and smiled. "Cool."

* * *

AN: Sooooo so sorry for the super late update. This chapter was _really,_ really hard to write for some reason.

For those Flarrow fans out there, I hope you like my nod at the end to the Flash's pilot, and the intro to the Weather Wizards. I couldn't really create weather abilities in the Avatar world, so I decided to find a way to mimic them, and since the only person who can hold the necessary bending is the Avatar…I kinda had to split them up. I also thought it was high time I put a proper Avatar Korra fight scene in here, since the Flash has been doing most of the legwork so far and she's kind of awesome herself. Please let me know if I wrote her style right.

Had a major case of writer's block here, but next chapter should be out much sooner, if I have the time to write this week.

Until then, _oya, vode_.

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Metahumans: fighting the Weather Wizards to disappearing into fog


	19. Hero

Hero (n.): a person, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

1 hour later

Air Temple Island

8 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

A small groan left Korra throat as she faceplanted onto her bed, face plastered against her pillow until she ran out of air. She turned over painfully, cringing as aches permeated what felt like every inch of her bruised body. _Note to self: don't run into any more dumpsters._ Her eyes closed as a sigh left her throat, her body trying to get into a position where pain would be at a minimum. Finally, she seemed to have found that position, another long breath exhaled as exhaustion started to take over.

A gust of wind entered her room as her window shutters flew open and her eyes looked up to see Barry standing in the opening, face shadowed.

"You're back," she remarked quietly.

He nodded slowly, drawing closer, an apologetic expression on his face as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Where'd you go?"

Barry looked up to meet her gaze and smiled a little. "To see a friend. Learned a few things." His fingers went to her cheeks as he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers briefly. "You were right," he whispered. "All this…pain, all this guilt? It's needless. What's more, it's destructive." He stared into her eyes. "And not just to me."

Korra looked back and sighed, holding him closer. She hissed when one of her bruised ribs fired up in pain, drawing away and lying back as her eyes squeezed shut.

"Korra? Korra, what's wrong?"

A long groan. "The fight with the Mardons took more out of me than I thought. Even with the sparring sessions I attended with you and Mako, I guess I wasn't quite prepared to get pummeled again."

Barry frowned and looked away.

She blinked. "What's wrong with _you_?"

"I…was so absorbed in my own failure, my own pain…" he looked up regretfully, "that I didn't even think about you."

Korra sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're not responsible for everything bad that happens in this city, and you should note that the next time you decide to blame yourself like that, I'm gonna kick your ass."

He grinned and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

His hands gently pushed her back onto the bed, prompting her to arch one eyebrow as he hovered over her. His lips came close to her ear as he shuffled in next to her.

"So where does it hurt?"

She nuzzled his cheek. "Honestly? Everywhere."

He arched an eyebrow. "Everywhere?"

"I crashed into a dumpster, got concrete burned, and hit with a knife and lightning bolt."

Barry smirked. "Everywhere it is, then."

His hands began vibrating at super speed, golden electricity dancing off them a few seconds later as he cuddled up to her and began moving his hands around her form. Korra inhaled sharply on contact, closing her eyes as she shuffled closer to him and enjoyed the sensations. It was…strange. Tingly and prickly, yet a little tickling and altogether pleasant. And she could never say no to being touched by him. Everything about the way he put his hands on her, pressing, stroking, caressing—everything was right.

Like the gears in a watch, their bodies melded together as a perfect whole, his arms curling around her body as the last aches and pains began to fade away. The only remaining hurt was on her cut shoulder, and by the time Barry spotted it, his hands had stopped vibrating, and he was breathing heavily.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

He nodded rather sluggishly. "It just…takes a lot out of me. I haven't exactly practiced much these past few months."

She smiled. "Gotcha. Well, it's just a teeny cut. Nothing to worry about."

Barry nodded slowly, then smirked as his eyes locked onto the scabbed injury.

Her brows furrowed. "What are you—"

"Shh."

Slowly, he lowered his head to her chest, laying there for a second before taking a deep breath and lifting it to her shoulder. A second later, his head began vibrating, and Korra's eyes widened as he slowly lowered his lips to her shoulder. A small gasp came from her throat as her arms tightened around him, the feeling of rapidly sealing flesh awkward and unfamiliar, but the tender touch of his lips too soft and welcoming for her to care. Korra slowly released the breath as her eyes closed and his weight moved to a more familiar position, over her side, pressing her firmly against his own, his arms around her midsection as hers went around his neck.

Her eyes opened to look up into his, lips parted slightly as he smiled down at her. No words were exchanged, only a silent agreement when their lips met in a slow, tender embrace, feeling each other out and deepening over the course of several seconds. She hummed into his mouth as her eyes closed, slowly losing herself in the heady sensations she never thought she'd get over. After an indeterminate amount of time, she felt his lips leave hers and his head nestle into her shoulder, his nose pressed against her neck as his breathing got deeper.

"Barry?"

He grunted sleepily.

She just smiled and nuzzled his hair. "Good night."

"Night," he grumbled, passing out a second later.

Korra's shoulders shook with silent laughter as her arms tightened around him, a satisfied sigh leaving her lips as her own eyes closed, the Avatar drifting off not long after.

…

5 days later

9 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"You ready?"

Barry crouched down and exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing as he fell into a runner's stance. "Ready."

Korra smiled and threw a fire kick in his direction, sending a ball of flame shooting past his face as he dodged around it and sprinted for her. An earth wall separated them before she leapt atop it and rained down fire punches on her sparring partner, who dodged every shot with some rather narrow misses. Water was bent from a nearby jug as she used it to coat the ground in front of him, freezing it a second later and sending him skidding into an ice wall. Spinning with his new lack of friction, Barry's right fist shot out like a lightning bolt, smashing through the wall and putting him back on solid ground.

Shards of earth and ice were snatched from the ground and thrown at superspeed, forcing Korra to duck behind the wall and take cover from the makeshift hailstorm. Barry, in response, zipped around to her side of the wall and threw a punch at her head, which she managed to dodge, though he grabbed her counter-punch and swung her into the air. Briefly disoriented, Korra's stomach did a little flip while she used an air blast both to knock Barry back a few steps and right herself. Her feet hit the ground a moment later, and she assumed a fighting stance as he came at her again.

Step by step she withdrew as blow after blow came her way, reflexes honed with nearly two decades of training the only things keeping her one step ahead of his attacks. One backwards step landed harder than the rest, sending Barry's front leg off the ground as an earth pillar popped him into the air. He rolled backward on impact with the ground, but found himself knocked backward when she pummeled his front with a jet of water. He hit the still-intact earth wall with a grunt, falling to his knees as she rushed him and propelled his body forward into a series of rapid and repeated rolls that took Korra's leg out from under her.

Straightening immediately, Barry went on the attack and pinned her arms to the ground from behind only to feel them both lift off the ground when she blew a gigantic air blast from her mouth. She broke his right hand's grip, then elbowed him in the solar plexus midair and flipped him over her shoulder, landing him on his back once they hit, knocking the wind out of him as her arms pinned his. They both breathed heavily for a few seconds as they stared at each other, Barry's lips curving upward as hers stayed parted, her disheveled hair falling in haphazard locks around his unmasked face.

"If you two are gonna start making out, just let me know, 'cause I'll go."

The metahumans' heads turned toward the source of the voice to find Cisco and Caitlin standing watch, the latter looking somewhat awkward, the former barely suppressing laughter.

Korra rolled her eyes and stood up, dusting herself off before hauling Barry to his feet.

The speedster nodded to the scientists. "When did you guys get back?"

"Just now, really," Caitlin responded as they approached. "What took you less than a day took us almost a full week to travel. You really should warn us when you're going to do something like that. We would've just radioed."

Barry smirked. "What on Earth made you think I wouldn't immediately rush over?" He shrugged. "My city was in trouble, and by extension, my friends."

Caitlin managed a smile as Cisco grinned and clapped him on the back. "So what have you been up to in our absence?"

Barry and Korra exchanged a look, after which the former replied, "You don't know?"

"We don't exactly get the city paper mid-flight," Caitlin said with a smirk.

The speedster quirked a smile before it faded. "The Mardon brothers killed a cop the moment I got back to town." His head shook as he grimaced. "Just to prove a point—to me. To try and intimidate me into not interfering."

"Did it work?" Cisco asked.

Barry crossed his arms and gave him a look.

"That's what I thought."

Korra glanced behind the scientists. "Where's Asami? We could really use her expertise in solving this Weather Wizard problem."

Caitlin and Cisco exchanged a look before the former answered. "She's…taking a business trip to Ba Sing Se." She shrugged. "New potential merger between Future Industries and Merlyn Global. Supposed to be very beneficial, maybe even with regard to tech we can use for you, Barry."

The speedster's eyebrows rose.

Cisco shrugged. "I guess she figured us four could handle the situation on our own."

Barry's lips pursed. "Well, here's hoping she's right. They've been quiet for the last week or so, haven't been seen since we intervened. I'd like to think that's 'cause they reformed or skipped town, but I've got a bad feeling they're just biding their time, planning an even bigger job with more risks and more potential casualties."

"I may have something that can help," Cisco said, reaching into a bag slung around his shoulder.

He pulled out a pair of all-too-familiar kali sticks and handed them to Korra, who took and stared at them for nearly a minute. She looked up at Cisco with an unreadable look, to which the engineer shrugged and waved at the devices.

"Electrified kali sticks. Used to belong to the Equalists, now refitted with a smaller, more efficient power generator. The boss-woman said it was like 'the power of a chi blocker in your hand.' Since these guys seem to rely almost exclusively on their bending, I figure you pop them with one of those bad boys, they go down in one hit."

Barry took one. "And all we have to do is get close." He looked up.

"Which shouldn't be a problem," Caitlin said, waving at him, "at least not for you."

"Or her," Barry added, nodding at the Avatar. He grinned, curling an arm around her shoulders. "You shoulda seen her earlier this week. She kicked _ass_."

Cisco chortled. "Oh man, I would've _paid_ to see that."

He gave Korra a look and smirked, then turned his attention back to Cisco. "Maybe you will." His arm uncurled from her shoulders as he walked off, thumbing the weapon to life. "The biggest problem now is finding them."

"Something tells me that won't be a problem much longer."

The group turned toward the new voice, Barry nodding at Lin. "What's up, Chief?"

She uncrossed her arms, approaching them. "Possible hit on a Mardon brother. Store owner reported seeing Clyde heading toward the Dragon Flats borough. He had something with him, a briefcase, looked like. I have units tailing him as we speak," she nodded to the team, "but I'd rather have a few extra eyes and hands on the case."

Barry nodded. "We're on it, Chief."

Korra gave him a nod as he handed her one of the sticks, then picked her up and sprinted toward the Dragon Flats.

…

5 minutes later

Dragon Flats borough

"Where is he, officer?"

The metalbender gave the Flash and the Avatar a crisp salute. "Clyde Mardon entered that building about a half hour ago." He nodded toward an abandoned tenement complex. "Hasn't exited since, that we can see. We've set up a four-block perimeter. If he tries to get out, he'll fail."

Korra nodded. "Thank you, sergeant. We'll take it from here."

"We've got your back, ma'am."

The Flash exchanged a look with his girlfriend, shrugging as she handed him one of her kali sticks. "You hit high, I hit low?"

"Sounds good to me, though we might want to stagger our entries."

His brows furrowed as he crouched next to her. "Meaning?"

"One of us goes in first, attracts their attention, gets the brothers focused on them, and while they're distracted, the other swoops in and shocks the lot of them into submission."

He pointed at the emblem on his chest. "I'm guessing you mean me."

Korra rolled her eyes. "Fine. If you insist."

She leapt off the rooftop, deploying her air glider and swooping through a two-story window to find herself on the upper level of an indoor courtyard, weak afternoon sunlight streaming through the dirt-caked skylight. Ocean blue eyes narrowed as she held her staff close, ready to leap into a fight at a moment's notice while she made her way toward some of the empty rooms on her floor. Several doors were blown or kicked down, nothing inside but dust and abandoned furniture, probably from the 1/172 attacks three months previous.

Stepping away from another empty apartment, Korra stopped when she caught a glimpse of a partially opened door, cautiously walking toward it, staff at the ready. The door was kicked open as she dove inside, rolling upright and clearing the empty room. A frustrated sigh left her lips as her brows furrowed and she took a closer look at the room's contents. One object in particular, a corkboard, held newspaper clippings about major weather catastrophes, anything and everything from thunderstorms to tidal waves. _They must've been getting ideas to combine their powers._ One entry in particular was more worn down than the rest, its paper slightly crumpled and faded by moisture. The subject matter was still legible, though.

Korra pulled the sheet off the board as her lips parted and a horrified look entered her eyes. "They can't be serious," she breathed.

A massive burst of static filled the room before it stabilized with an electronic whine.

"Well hello, Avatar Korra."

She looked around the room and snarled, aiming her staff in every direction. "Mark. Come out now and I'll _consider_ taking it easy on you."

He chuckled darkly. "We both know _that's_ a lie. I warned you, you and the Flash, that if you ever came after us again, there would be consequences. Did you not take that seriously?"

Korra tipped her head upward, finally finding the source of the voice to be a speaker in a corner of the ceiling. "Inaction has its own consequences. You and your brothers are going to keep stealing and killing with or without us. But with…you don't stand a chance of continuing."

"Is that right? Because I seem to remember humbling you the last time we faced off."

"Come _out_ , Mardon," she snarled. "If you want a fight, you'll damn well get one."

"Oh, I know I will, but not from you."

A series of ominous beeps filled the room as red lights came on all across the space, Korra freezing in her tracks.

"See, your part in this little drama is over—"

She spotted a map of the city on the corkboard, a single location circled in red.

"—but rest assured, your actions _will_ be felt elsewhere."

Korra's eyes widened in horror as she recognized the location on the city blueprints as RCPD headquarters. _He can't think—_

A rapid blink returned her to her current situation, where the beeps began to intensify in frequency and volume.

"Korra?" a panicked voice came through her ear.

"Bombs…lots of them. The whole _place_ is rigged to blow."

"Then get the hell out of there!"

"The building—I don't know if it's empty!"

"I'll check, now _go_!"

Biting her lower lip, Korra took his advice and deployed her glider as an air scooter was created beneath her, the combined wind currents moving her toward the nearest exit even faster as the first explosions began. The sheer force of the compounded blasts knocked her well away from the building once she shot out a window, her glider flying out of her hand on the way down and only a rough series of recovery rolls saving her from being brained against the pavement. She was on her feet instantly, staring at the burning building, her mouth wide open.

"Barry?" she asked softly, tapping her earpiece. "Flash, can you hear me? Flash!"

"Right here," a voice responded from right next to her.

Korra turned toward his red-clad form, releasing a sigh of relief once she held his arms and confirmed he was there. "The building?"

His head shook. "Completely empty. I made sure. But whatever evidence was inside, whatever leads we have? They just went up in flames."

Her eyes narrowed. "Not exactly. Before the bombs went off, I saw a map of Republic City. On it, police headquarters was circled in red."

His head tilted sideways as it shook. "They can't be serious."

"That's what I thought, but most of the force is comprised of metalbenders. Mark alone could take on half of them, use their metal armor against them with lightning."

"And if Trey adds his waterbending to the mix, douses the bullpen to create a chain reaction—"

"It'll be a slaughter."

"But that's all assuming they make it inside, which is virtually impossible—unless…"

She blinked. "Unless what?"

His lips pursed and brows furrowed. "Unless they find another way in that doesn't involve the front door."

Korra's jaw dropped slightly as she turned back to the burning building, just enough of the base structure visible under burning rubble to see a broken water main—and the corresponding manhole cover. They exchanged a look before she nodded and let herself be lifted and sped away.

…

Police HQ

Mako hefted a weatherproof jacket and donned it, strapping a pair of arm guards on as he made for the chief's office. Before he could get halfway there, he heard the yells of several cops down the hall and turned in time to see their bodies fly into view. Eyebrows furrowed, he, along with half the station, took a ready stance aimed in that direction, eyes widening when a cascade of water flooded down the hall, four figures visible through its amorphous surface. Mako ignited a massive wall of flame around his body, managing to prevent from being bowled over, but not from having his clothes dampened by the resulting steam.

The rest of the station was not so lucky, although they too managed to avoid the worst of the blunt damage. Slowly, Mark stepped to the front of his group, his brothers juggling their respective elements threateningly.

"The Weather Wizards own this city," he shouted. Lightning began to spark off his fingers. "It's time everyone else realizes it."

Mako's eyes widened as Mark extended his right arm toward the bullpen, sapphire energy streaking from his fingers just as Chief Beifong exited her office, putting her feet in direct contact with the water-coated floor. Mako's attention was fixed firmly on that bolt of lightning—which made direct contact with him. More specifically, it hit his outstretched arm. He tucked the charged appendage against his chest, cringing with the effort, then snarled and yelled as he released it—right back at the Mardon brothers.

Mark's eyes widened as he was hit dead center and blown back a dozen feet into a wall. The rest of his brothers raged and threw one element after the next at the cops, but the combined might of the force quickly repelled them down one hallway after the next as they gave chase to the fleeing criminals. Mako was thrown back when a mini-storm of sand engulfed his body, shredding a good amount of his skin and tossing him into a wall. Groaning, he pushed himself upright as he felt blood run down his left arm, clutching it with his right while he kept up the pursuit. It ended in the center of the headquarters, in the massive, ornate atrium that doubled as the entrance.

"There's nowhere left to run!" Lin shouted.

Clyde stepped over his injured brother, hands curled into claws at his sides, as he snarled at her. "Who say's we're running?" He shrugged, looking back at the rest of the crew. "We've been thinkin' too small." He faced her. "It's time to think big."

Immediately, three of the Mardons stood and began waving their arms in spiral motions, a mixture of sand, steam, and wind combining to form a barrier between them and the surrounding cops. It took Mako and Lin about ten seconds to realize what they were doing and attempt to stop them. Two bolts of lightning streaked toward them from inside the rapidly forming vortex, both dodged with barely a split-second to spare. Any repeated attempts to approach were met with similar defensive measures by the injured Mark until the pure wind shear was enough to begin sucking them toward and around the vortex.

When Mako's feet began to slip, Lin caught him with one of her cables, using another to anchor and pull them away from the expanding tornado as chunks of the ceiling and support structures began to fall around them.

"Clear the area!" Lin shouted over the roar of the wind.

Mako's eyes widened as he stared at the twister, its deadly form curling and spinning at even more rapid speeds by the second. "This is impossible. The last time this happened, it took twenty airbenders to pull something like this off."

Lin snorted as they withdrew to a minimum safe distance. "Guess the Reverse-Flash is just the gift that keeps on giving. His enhancements must've done something incredible to their abilities."

A gust of wind from another direction caught their attention. "That doesn't make them unstoppable," an unnaturally echoing voice said.

Lin nodded to the red-clad figure as he set Korra down. "Flash. Avatar. We've got a bit of a situation here."

"I'll say," the Flash muttered with a slow shake of his head, his features vibrating as the roof was torn off the room.

"How do we stop something like that?" Mako breathed.

"I can unravel it."

His eyebrows shot up. "How the hell are you gonna do that?"

The Flash shrugged. "I'll run around it in the opposite direction."

As Mako's jaw hung open, two more figures entered the room, one bald, one _really_ not.

"Bumi, Tenzin," Korra greeted.

The airbending master nodded in greeting. "We came as soon as you called, but I'm not sure what we can do here. We still don't have enough benders to create a counter-vortex."

"You have me," the Flash countered. "I've done this before, I can do it again."

"But you won't be doing it alone this time," Korra insisted.

Tenzin nodded in agreement. "We'll add our wind to yours. Give you a boost."

Bumi slapped Mako on his bad shoulder. "Take a breather, son. We'll handle it from here."

Lin ushered Mako toward a doorway, but stopped when a massive chunk of debris flew toward them. A flash of golden lightning intercepted it, and the Flash pushed the debris off his body as he rose to his feet, breathing heavily and facing the twister.

Mako looked between him and the vortex. "What happens if you can't go fast enough?"

The Flash turned his head to face him, staying silent.

Lin answered for him, moving away from Mako and toward the vortex. "This building, and anything around it, gets destroyed. They won't stop, not until the city is brought to its knees." She looked to the Flash. "Are you sure you can stop it?"

He turned back toward the tornado. "I have to try."

A moment later, he took off.

…

Barry ran clockwise around the curling vortex, opposite its motion, feeling massive winds pulling him toward its center but resisting them through sheer speed.

"Now!" he yelled, prompting Korra, Bumi, and Tenzin to begin firing air currents into various points of his run.

Every time he ran past, he created a temporary wind tunnel that channeled their air into a powerful reverse funnel. With every passing second, he could feel the twister's pull on him decreasing, but it wasn't enough to stop its expansion. _If it keeps growing at this rate, we'll never be able to stop them._ Just as he started to ramp up his speed, a flash came from his right, and searing pain lanced through him as he was knocked away by a bolt of lightning from inside the vortex. He painfully rolled to a stop as the airbenders were forced back as well, gouts and arcs of flame coming from the Mardons, the heat adding itself to the vortex as the tornado turned fiery.

Barry put a finger to his ear. "I can't stop it!" he yelled over the din. "It's too strong!"

Several seconds passed as every pair of eyes flickered in his direction before locking onto the twister. Every pair, that is, except one. His earpiece clicked on.

"I believe in you, Barry."

The speedster blinked, shifting his vision to Lin as his jaw dropped.

She ducked under flying debris. "I know I haven't always been as supportive or…appreciative as I should, but…the truth is, I've always believed in you. Always believed you could be more, be great. You've survived more darkness than most men twice your age will ever experience, and the fact that you came out the other side at all, much less a…hero, someone willing and eager to lay his life down for others, is a testament to your strength. The Reverse-Flash may have created this madness, but you, Barry…you can _stop_ it. You _can_ do this." Her eyes hardened and narrowed as she looked straight at him. "Now run, Barry, _run_!"

Barry's jaw tightened as he turned back to the tornado, lightning dancing in his eyes for barely a second before he shot toward the vortex. His legs became indistinguishable red blurs as lightning crackled across his entire form, a lap made around the twister every fifth of a second, then every tenth, then fifteenth. The airbenders hit the twister at maximum strength, every dreg of their power leveled against the unnatural disaster as the Flash kept running. Second by second, bit by bit, Barry felt the vacuum of the tornado begin to weaken, the heat from its fiery wall dimming as his own vacuum began sucking the air from its outer surface. Several more lightning strikes were thrown his way, but with him moving so incredibly fast, Mark couldn't get a bead on him. When arcs of fire were also projected, the heat was assimilated into Barry's vortex, adding even more opposing energy as the outside vortex grew and grew.

Finally, a massive, collective roar came from inside the tornado as the three Mardon brothers began to cave under the mental and physical strain. A second later, the twister collapsed, and loose debris began raining from the sky, smoke and dust blanketing the whole room. Barry breathed heavily a few times, adjusting his loose mask and pulling it tightly over his features. Four shadowy figures approached his exhausted one, the snarling face of Clyde Mardon revealed once he stepped to the fore.

"You think you won?" Clyde hissed. "You got _nothin_ ', understand? _Nothin'_!"

He air-blasted Barry back into a wall, pinning him there as his brothers prepared to pelt him with everything they had.

"Mardon!" an enraged female voice yelled.

They turned toward the smoke at once as four metal cables shot out and snagged their arms.

"Now!" the same voice roared.

A second later, lightning flew from a source somewhere inside the fog, hitting one cable and electrocuting the lot of them. The smell of burnt hair filled Barry's nose as the four brothers slumped to the ground unconscious. He too hit the ground, though on his feet and breathing heavily. Five more figures stepped through the gloom, a collective airbending effort clearing away the smoke and revealing an open canopy of starry skies. Barry turned to Mako, vibrating his vocal cords.

"Thank you, Detective."

The injured firebender smiled. "Anytime, Flash." He looked back at the entry hallway, motioning several other cops inside. "Let's get to work cleaning this up." He turned back to Barry. "Thank _you_. Without your help…who knows how many would've died?"

Barry looked to Korra, then back to Mako. "I try not to think about 'what-ifs.'"

Mako gave him a long look, gaze flickering to the Avatar before returning to Barry. "Well…thanks again." He strode off toward the Mardons, grabbing one by the arm and slinging him over his shoulder as metalbenders began to haul the rest off to specialized holding cells.

Barry noticed the four remaining people staring at him and shrugged. "What?"

"You still haven't told him," Lin said flatly.

His eyes rolled as he sighed. "I _will_. I just have to find the right way."

"Barry," Tenzin began sagely, "if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that there's no good way to break a secret, especially if that secret has been kept from a close friend." He put a hand on Barry's shoulder. "There are, however, plenty of _wrong_ ways for someone to find out."

He nodded slowly. "I understand. Thank you, and not just for the advice."

Lin's arms crossed. "You did the same for us."

Barry grinned and saluted the bunch before taking off.

…

1 hour later

Police HQ

A series of knocks got Lin's attention away from the paperwork on her desk. "Come in."

Barry's plainclothes form stepped through the door of her office, closing it behind him as she leaned back in her chair.

"Need something?"

He smiled a little, looking away. "You know, someone told me a while ago that…you care for people a lot more than you let on."

She arched a gray eyebrow, her expression otherwise impassive. "What else did they say?"

He shrugged and smirked. "Not much. Just that you were more than a little protective." He looked directly as her, smirk still in place. "Specifically of me."

If she was surprised, she didn't show it. "And who exactly was this person?"

Barry shrugged and waved dismissively. "It doesn't matter." He raised his eyebrows as he approached her desk, hands in his jacket pockets. "I don't hear you refuting it, though."

Lin blinked, face still impassive.

He tilted his head sideways. "Just one question. Why?" Barry started pacing. "I mean, you've been involved in my life ever since the night my parents died— _and_ every year since." At the slight widening of her eyes, he stopped moving and smirked. "You didn't cover your tracks on my papers from the foster system as well as you thought." He squared his shoulders toward her. "I'm just wondering…what's up with that?"

Lin's jaw worked as she took a deep breath and looked off to the side. She sighed hard as she rose to her feet, pacing behind her desk for a few moments before stopping and looking out the window. "Allen…I'm not a mother." Her body half-turned to face him, a softness in her eyes that he'd never seen. "But if I were…and I ever had a son…" her head cocked as a smirk came to her face, "I suspect he'd be something like you."

Barry's jaw dropped slightly.

She shrugged. "Which is probably why I've never had kids."

The CSI grinned and chuckled as she returned to her seat and paperwork. A calm, comfortable silence fell over the room for a long time as she worked and he just stood there thinking, a smile plastered to his face. After about a minute or two, she looked up at him and arched an eyebrow.

"What the hell do you want, time off? Get back to work."

He grinned and nodded, turning for the door. "Yes, ma'am."

"And Barry."

He stopped halfway through the exit and turned to her.

She cracked a small, malevolent smile. "If you ever breathe a word of this to anyone—"

He held his hands up, still grinning. "Your secret's safe with me… _Mom_."

Her green eyes widened as her jaw dropped slightly, then narrowed as her fists clenched and she started to rise. Laughing, Barry slammed the door shut and took off down a hallway as irate shouts followed him until he was out of sight, then vanishing as he sped away from the station and into the night.

…

Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring

A well-dressed man strode down an alleyway, absently checking over several details on a clipboard until something appeared in his peripheral vision. He looked up to see a tall, thickly-built figure in a dark blue trenchcoat staring at him.

The man lifted his clipboard defensively. "Whoever you are, you better back off."

A grunt answered him as the other figure strode toward him slowly. "I'm sorry to do this to you…" he halted, "but you have something I need."

The man's eyes narrowed as he watched the figure intently, a flash of metal all he saw before he lifted his clipboard, something hard deflecting off it and flying behind him.

"See, that's the thing about our work."

A sharp, searing pain entered his back as he collapsed to the ground, a shriek coming from his throat. As he bled out, the figure crouched next to him and yanked something out of his back.

"It always comes back to haunt you."

The killer stood slowly, taking the clipboard and a notebook from the dead man's jacket as he cleaned a bloody boomerang on it. He tucked the weapon back into his coat next to two rows of others, turning toward the alley's exit and walking out into the night. A half hour later, another figure touched down in that alley from above, striding over to the body and crouching down. A palm went to his leather-clad chest.

"Felicity," a rough voice said, "we have a problem."

* * *

AN: And that's it for the Weather Wizards arc. Things are really gonna start picking up starting next chapter, which begins the Flash vs. Arrow story arc. Sooo excited to write that one, and I hope you're excited to read about it. The Arrow references and reasoning will start to make sense, despite the fact that the Arrow side of things still hasn't been started yet. I haven't heard from my collaborator in a while, and we haven't even decided on a title for the new story yet. Hoping to get that out sooner rather than later, but on the offchance we don't, some explanation of the situation in Ba Sing Se will be provided next chapter, though not enough to spoil the greater plot.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more. Please review and let me know what you think.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - I Have to Try: 1:40-end—"That doesn't make them unstoppable" to "thanks again"


	20. Push

Push (n.): an act of exerting force on someone or something in order to move them away from oneself or toward something else; alternatively, a vigorous effort to do or obtain something.

2 weeks later

Future Industries Airfield, Republic City

9 months, 2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"All right. Field test take one-thousand."

Asami sighed and rolled her eyes. "Not one-thousand, Cisco." She winked at Barry. "We're barely scratching two-twenty."

The mechanical engineer huffed as Barry grinned off to the side of the newfangled treadmill.

"Okay," Cisco shouted animatedly, "try it now."

Barry shrugged as he stepped onto the machine, feeling it hum beneath his feet as it powered on, starting off with a slow walk, then a medium jog, slowly increasing his pace until he was going near sixty mph, then eighty, then one-hundred. Finally, it seemed like the engineer had outdone himself, so he ramped it up to two-hundred. Thus far, no issues. Three-hundred…four-hundred…six-hundred…no issues. Seven-hundred—some of the lights in the room started to flicker. Eight-hundred—two lightbulbs flared for several seconds, then burst. Cisco chewed his lower lip.

At nine-hundred—after a sonic boom resounded through the soundproofed suit storage room—the radio tuned to the police frequency began to malfunction. At nine-fifty, half the lights in the command center burst, and the rest of the power grid started to fail. Cisco punched the emergency stop, prompting Barry to drastically reduce his speed—something he'd become quite adept at since the tidal wave incident. A stream of low curses came from the engineer as he went back to the plans and tore one sheet after the next off. Cisco started muttering off calculations as a frown creased his forehead and Asami let out a sigh, approaching him.

"I just don't get it," he said once she got within six feet. "My calculations were solid. The energy draw should be low enough for the power grid to compensate for the sharp increases from one gear to another."

Asami looked over his shoulder, eyebrows furrowing and lips moving silently as she performed a few mental calculations of her own. A rapid blink occurred ten seconds later as she put an index on the schematic. "Hang on. That hydraulic pump, near the front."

Cisco closed his eyes as a frustrated sigh was torn from his throat. "Of course. Which… _totally_ screws everything up. The added pressure driving the treadmill would add a couple… _thousand_ Watts to the draw. Gahhh…" His forehead slammed into a nearby corkboard several times.

Asami restrained a laugh, instead putting a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Cisco, we'll figure it out. Besides, it's not necessary. He's doing fine as it is."

He shrugged. "Yeah, maybe, but it's the only way to properly gauge how fast he can go." Cisco looked up at her with a concentrated frown. "Which we need to know if we're gonna prepare him for the next time he has to fight the Reverse-Flash."

Asami's smirk faded, and she too adopted a frown. "Right. Just keep working the problem, Cisco." She smiled a little, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I trust you, and so does Barry. You'll figure it out."

Cisco smiled back and nodded, turning back to his diagrams and falling into pure focus mode as his boss entered the storage room and approached an eating Barry.

She nodded to him. "How are you feeling?"

Barry looked up at her and grinned. "I'm great. The treadmill's…awesome." He winced. "It's too bad the lights get knocked out." He shrugged. "Cisco'll figure it out."

"He always does," she agreed, crossing her arms and staring at the treadmill for a while.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"When you got back, you weren't exactly specific about what you did in Ba Sing Se. What happened there?"

Asami chewed her lower lip for a moment before shrugging and sitting next to him. "Not much to say, really. It was just putting the finishing touches on a business deal with the Merlyn Global Group. They're a technology and shipping company based in Ba Sing Se. Their CEO wanted to collaborate on a sonic wave study project. Very reputable organization. My father had a few vague dealings with them, completely unrelated to any Equalist projects, so…" She shrugged. "So yeah. Quite a bit of money's invested in this initiative, so it's nice to have someone else to help shoulder the load."

"And what do they get out of it?"

"Apart from part of the proceeds from such a venture? Unfettered access to any prototype tech that comes of it—which is fine, because I don't intend on developing anything that could either give them a monopoly or a weapon." Asami shrugged again. "Not that I don't trust them, but…frankly, I'm just not comfortable giving that kind of machinery to anyone I can't control. And they're business partners, not friends. If there's anything my father taught me that was right, it's that the two have some very distinct differences."

Barry nodded slowly. "Smart. You get into contact with Oliver at some point?"

"I…did, actually. Him _and_ Bolin, who's…doing fine, by the way. Enjoying his job. Unfortunately, that occasionally involves hunting for the Arrow—" she smirked, "—which he intentionally botches. Actually managed to feed Oliver some valuable intel from inside the Earth Kingdom's government on a…Count Vertigo?" Asami shrugged. "Anyway, they're doing great so far, just keeping busy." She nodded to him. "What about you? Where are we on this metahuman crisis?"

Barry winced. "I wouldn't exactly call it a 'crisis,' but thus far we haven't run into anyone else other than the Mardon brothers. I've been trying to flag down leads about a 'Bette Sans Souci,' but her file is linked to the United Forces, and they're less than enthusiastic about sharing intel after the whole Reverse-Flash debacle."

Asami snorted. "Why does _that_ not surprise me? Although I _could_ put in a call to General Iroh, see if he can help us any."

Barry shrugged and stood with a sigh. "It's worth a shot, I guess." He checked his watch. "Anyway, I'm supposed to meet with Mako in ten minutes, go over a recent case file in my lab." His expression sobered. "The real reason for the meet is, well…" He turned away and started pacing, stopping halfway across the room and turning to Asami. "I want to tell him."

Asami smirked and crossed her arms. "It's about time."

Barry smiled.

She waved at the door. "Well what are you waiting for? Go."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin', I'm goin'."

Barry chuckled briefly before vanishing in a blur, leaving Asami to stare at the nonfunctional treadmill and shake her head, heading back to the control center to assist Cisco.

…

10 minutes later

Police HQ

The workspace of Barry Allen was rather cluttered with chemical tests and crime scene reports from about a dozen different cases, the scientist currently juggling two of the former while periodically perusing six of the latter. When he heard steps coming from the entrance of his lab, he stopped moving at superspeed and set anything potentially dangerous down where it wouldn't be touched and turned toward the door with a smile.

"Hey Bear." Mako held up a packet of folders. "Brought those files you requested."

"Great," Barry replied, motioning to a side table. "Just set 'em down there for now." He picked up a microscope slide and carried it over to the device itself, gingerly setting it in place and getting to perform a quick charring analysis on a concrete sample from a crime scene in the Industrial District. He quickly scribbled something down on a notepad, then pulled off his gloves and deposited them in a waste bin, turning to his friend and roommate. "So, Mako, you found any pattern among those yet?" He nodded to the appropriated case files.

The firebender frowned and shrugged. "All of 'em were caused by some kind of high explosive. That's about the only connection I can find."

"Really?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, pulling one of them out and flipping through it. "Because just at a glance, I've got some rather irregularities these crime scenes all have in common."

Mako's brows furrowed, and he got up to look over Barry's shoulder. "Like what?"

"Well, for one, you see this blast pattern? That's indicative of an extremely high impact, like a car crash or some other highly concussive event. Normally, demolitions are specifically of the incendiary or concussive variety, so a lot more heat than kinetic energy is released during the explosion, or vice versa. These, however—" he traced a pattern over two separate photographs, "—indicate high quantities of both. So either I'm reading this all wrong—"

"Or we're looking at a new type of explosive."

"Exactly. Also, when military and police CSIs combed over the scene, none of them could find any kind of bomb components, so either the bomber went and picked up after themselves after the job, or…"

Mako gave Barry a sideways look. "Or what?"

Barry just shook his head slowly and stared at the pictures with a baffled expression. "I don't know. I can't think of another explanation, but considering how fast first responders got to each location, I don't see how the bomber would've had enough time to clean up without being seen." He frowned in concentration, then shrugged and pushed away from the table. "Somethin' to think about."

Mako frowned in confusion, turning to face Barry as the younger man paced the room. "That's…that's it?"

"Well, uh…no, not really." Barry kept pacing nervously, feeling his heart start to beat a thousand times a minute as he began sweating a little. With a sharp exhale, he stopped and faced Mako. "I have something to tell you, and you have to promise not to freak out too badly."

The firebender stared at him with a baffled expression for a few seconds before his eyes widened in horror. "You didn't."

Barry blinked rapidly. "What?"

"Barry, tell me you didn't get Korra pre—"

" _Whoa_! Whoa, no-no-no-no-no, are you kidding me?!" Barry resumed pacing the room, periodically taking a few deeps breaths and desperately trying to avoid hyperventilating. A vision of the suggested outcome flashed through his mind, and he immediately cringed, attempting to purge the vision by rubbing his eyes. "Ewwwww! Makooooo…why would you even _suggest_ that? I mean, how do you make the jump from 'don't freak out' to 'Korra's pregnant'? Seriously! Now I'm gonna have nightmares for a week."

"I don't know! Seemed like the only thing that could genuinely freak me out."

The CSI shot him a deadpan look. "Well…that _wasn't_ it."

Mako crossed his arms. "Okay?"

He took one last deep breath, releasing it and facing his friend. "The truth is, I'm—"

"Detective!"

Barry released a small groan and rolled his eyes as one of the cops manning a downstairs radio strode through the doors of his lab. "We got reports of a robbery in progress down on Eighth."

Mako sighed and nodded slowly. "I'm on it." He turned back to Barry. "We will discuss this later."

Barry gave him a reluctant nod punctuated by a disgusted expression. A frown creased his features as he watched the two cops leave, a sigh leaving his throat as he stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. Suddenly, he blinked, and a thought occurred to him. _Robbery on Eighth._ A frustrated groan came from his lips as he trudged over to his in-lab locker and yanked out his Flash suit.

…

3 minutes later

Republic City, Financial District

The Flash sped through one street and turn after the next, having passed Mako's squad car a long time ago. The bank was in sight in no time, but even from the outside, he could tell something was wrong. The moment he was inside, it all became apparent. Over two dozen people were in the building, every last one of them at each other's throats. Barry's jaw dropped slightly as an unassuming woman drove a letter opener toward a man's throat. Zipping over, he knocked the implement from her hand and shoved them apart, performing similar actions around the room until he saw a firebending guard about to fry a couple who were each charging him with a metal pole.

The Flash tackled the pair out of the way of the fire stream a second before it roasted them alive, pinning the guard to the ground a second later and watching as one by one, the occupants of the room began slowing down and regaining their senses, horrified looks coming to their faces one by one. A confused frown came to his features as he gave them all a once-over, pursing his lips, then speeding out of the bank and changing into his plainclothes. Ten minutes later, the police had set up a full-blown crime scene, and Barry was picking over the remains of the bank vault.

About two minutes after he'd started his investigation, a pair of familiar, well-defined arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind.

"Guess who."

Barry grinned and lifted one hand to stroke a covered forearm. "Good morning to you too."

Korra crouched next to him, smiling sideways at the CSI, then nodding at the vault. "Whatcha workin' on?"

He frowned in concentration, standing slowly. "Well, from the looks of it, the perp. made off with about two-hundred thousand yuans while the rest of the bank was intent on tearing itself apart."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly. So either everyone here suddenly realized they had a beef with each other, or…"

"Or?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. They were controlled by some kind of outside force, maybe?"

Korra blinked hard. "You think a bloodbender may be involved?"

"It's not a full moon, far as I know."

"It didn't have to be for Tarrlok or his brother," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "True, but it didn't feel like a bunch of puppets being manipulated. And why go through all the trouble of controlling the bank when he, or she, could much more easily have just knocked them all out? No, it didn't seem like bloodbending at all, and their faces…Korra, you should've seen it. Was like the whole crowd turned murderous, like, genuinely murderous."

She hummed in thought, eyebrows scrunched up as she scanned the torn-up room, her head shaking. Finally, she smiled at Barry and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, if anyone can figure out what happened here, it's you."

"Allen," a new voice called.

He nodded at the source. "Chief?"

She approached the pair, giving Korra a once-over, then returning her gaze to Barry. "Witnesses reported some kind of mass brawl occurring during the robbery, like everyone decided to get pissed all at once. Any idea what could cause something like that?"

He shrugged and shook his head. "I dunno. A toxin, maybe? Something that messes with your hormones?" Barry gave Korra a brief glance, but the Avatar still picked up on it and crossed her arms as a sidelined Mako attempted to restrain his laughter. The CSI shrugged again. "I'll swab a few surfaces, but…I think they were whammied."

Lin's eyebrows shot up. "Did you honestly just say 'whammied'?"

Barry just shrugged and shook his head as Korra also began restraining laughter. " _Anyway_ , I am going to head back to my lab one I'm finished here. Be sure to send me over any witness statements, see if I can find any patterns as far as what happened to them."

"Got it."

Barry made for the door, Korra slinging an arm around his shoulders, and grinned as he walked side-by-side with his girlfriend.

"Barry!"

They stopped and turned to face an approaching Mako.

"There was something you wanted to tell me earlier?"

Barry blinked rapidly before waving dismissively. "It can wait."

"Oh…okay." Mako looked skeptical, but didn't press, turning back to the crime scene.

Korra sighed about a minute of walking later. "You need to tell him."

"And I will," Barry insisted. "There are a whole _lot_ of people I need to tell. Actually…" He blinked rapidly as something occurred to him. "Actually, that reminds me of someone in particular…someone who might just be able to help Cisco with his power problem." He kissed Korra's cheek, then disengaged himself from her. "Thanks, babe." A second later, he was gone.

…

Republic City, Spirit Wilds

A blonde scientist in a while lab coat bent over a test tube, thick glasses in place to magnify the results of his sample. A small, chemical-coated swab lowered to the tube. A flash of golden lightning snatched him away before it touched. Edward Thorne suddenly found himself standing in an abandoned building, staring blankly at his dilapidated surroundings for a few seconds. A blur of red later, and he was staring openmouthed at Republic City's Scarlet Speedster.

"You—you're—"

"The Flash," the red-clad figure confirmed in a rather familiar voice. "I need your help, Professor."

Eddie's jaw dropped even more as his head shook, and he let out a laugh. "I can't imagine why. I mean…you're the Flash."

"But even the Flash needs help sometimes." He lowered his head and slowly pulled back his cowl, looking back up. "Even if he's not twelve anymore."

By the suddenly pale, openmouthed look on Eddie's face, he was on the verge of fainting. Barry vanished, then returned a second later, placing a chair behind his lightheaded mentor as he sat down hard. A thousand questions rushed through Eddie's mind, his conscious zeroing in on one in particular.

"The lightning bolt?"

Barry shrugged. "Pretty much."

Eddie took and released several deep breaths, a hand running through his spiky hair. Finally, his breathing seemed to calm to relatively normal levels, and he looked up at Barry. "What do you need?"

The speedster grinned and held out a hand. "Hang on tight."

Minutes later, they sped onto the Future Industries airfield on the outskirts of town, inside the command tower and into the storage room for his suit. Eddie held onto his stomach for a few seconds until it settled, then took a good look at the room around him.

"Spirits," the researcher breathed. "Barry, this is—this is—"

"Amazing?" Barry laughed. "Yeah, I thought so too."

After another minute of observations, Eddie turned to Barry with a questioning look. "What do you need me for again?"

He waved at the defunct treadmill sitting in a corner. "That. Cisco, the guy who designed my suit, he put this thing together as a way to test my speed, to see how far I can really go. Only problem is—"

"He can't get enough energy to power it for more than a few seconds."

"And I was hoping you could help."

Eddie blinked. "The spirit vine research. You want to adapt it to this."

Barry nodded once. "Cisco created a superconducting filament that allows the treadmill to run at my speeds, but the airfield's power grid just can't handle the draw. I'm thinkin' we can help each other out here. You get me a viable power source, and I can get you the formula for the filament Cisco used."

Eddie grinned. "That would be… _invaluable_ , Bear." His head shook slowly in amazement, shrugging a few seconds later. "I mean…it's all theoretical at this point, but I think I can adapt the vine fluid to an electrochemical power cell if you can develop some kind of insulated container using this filament."

Barry looked behind the professor. "Cisco?"

The engineer was staring at the pair openmouthed, but shook his head to clear out the shock a second later. "Oh yeah, man. I mean…when you said we'd figure it out, this isn't exactly what I had in mind, but…if you trust him, I'm game."

"Yeah," Barry assured him. "Besides, it'll help if we have someone specializing in energy technology around here."

"Whoa," Eddie protested, "I may want to help on this, but that doesn't mean I'm sticking around on the payroll."

Barry stood there for a few seconds as he thought over his next move, then shrugged. "Ya know, Eddie, it doesn't really matter right now. You can totally decide what happens after, but this treadmill? We need it operational, preferably before the end of the week. It's kinda time-sensitive."

The researcher nodded slowly. "I'll get right on it, Bear, but I kinda need the materials from my field lab."

A blur and several minutes later, they were back in the Wilds, Barry's mask back on.

"You know your way back, I take it?"

Eddie nodded slowly, gulping past his sudden dizziness.

"Good. Well, I gotta go. Work stuff. See ya, Professor." A second later, he was gone.

The scientist let out a long breath, sitting down hard and blinking several times, head in his hands. A smile slowly spread over his features as his head shook, a chuckle bubbling out of his throat.

…

6 hours later

Police HQ

Chief Beifong walked into Barry's lab about an hour after he'd arrived, striding right up to his desk as he was bent over a microscope, his earpiece on the desk with an active link to the airfield.

"Well? Anything?"

Barry frowned as he straightened up, shaking his head. "Whatever turned that crowd into a psycho brawler's club wasn't on the scene. _Korra_ did find something strange, though." He held up a brick that had been knocked loose during the brawl, putting it under a light and moving it back and forth, showing a slight glossy black sheen over the surface of the stone.

"Whoa," she breathed. "What?"

"Korra said she'd seen effects like this before, at the Eastern Air Temple while under dark spirit corruption."

Lin gave him a sideways look. "You're kidding."

His head shook.

"I thought she already took care of this garbage," she said irritably.

"Maybe in the general population, but there are always a few outliers."

She snorted. "Guess all you need for that is free will. So what's your working theory? Dark spirit possession?"

He shrugged. "Seems likely enough, but as far as I know, spirits can only possess one person at a time…which means there would have to be a lot of them to pull off what happened earlier today. It'd be impossible for that number of dark spirits to stay undetected in broad daylight."

"True enough. I guess we'll know more when we find the culprit."

"Also, the victims reported feeling an uncontrollable surge of anger before going all haywire. It may not be possession as much as just influence."

"Anger," Asami said over the radio, "frustration, outright rage…all of these can be used to devastating effect when applied in large ratios. Blacking out with anger is a very real occurrence. If this…thief can so easily induce bouts of extreme rage in its victims, catching them may prove…tricky."

"Also," Cisco chimed in, "why would a spirit need to rob banks?"

Barry and Lin exchanged a look and shrug before the former replied. "Beats me. Though I may have a way to track down the culprit."

"Oh?" Lin intoned, leaning over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I started compiling a list of every known domestic dispute near the area of the bank where the parties involved couldn't remember why they started fighting when it was all over. You know, to see if our rage-machine was practicing."

"And?"

He unrolled a map. "See for yourself."

Beifong looked over the sheet for a while. "These incidents are almost all clustered around the same general area."

"The Dragon Flats. And specifically within these six blocks."

She nodded slowly. "Sato, you and your team cross-reference that area with any known Triad or other questionable facilities."

"Will do, Chief."

"What about me?" Barry asked.

Lin glanced over at him. "Take a break. You've been working non-stop all week. Grab a bite, do something. Just get out of the office."

The CSI stared at her, blinking owlishly for a few seconds before shaking his head and poking her arm several times, suspicion written all over his features.

She stared at him quizzically for a moment before her eyes narrowed and her upper lip twitched. "What?"

His hand froze mid-poke. "Who are you and what have you done with Lin Beifong?"

The chief rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the arm. "Don't read into it, Allen," she ordered sternly. "You're no good to me—or anyone—burnt out, and chances are we'll need the Flash by the time this is all over."

Barry pursed his lips and nodded slowly, a smile slowly coming to his face. "Thanks, Chief."

She gave a noncommittal grunt before he sped out of the lab and out into the streets.

…

A blue-clad young woman stepped through the door of a coffee shop, humming a tune absently as she strode up to the line in progress, stuck behind an old lady and her two grandkids. One, a young girl with freckles and light brown hair, stared up at her in awe. Korra smiled down and waved, the girl waving back shyly as a light chuckle came from the Avatar's throat. The grandmother couldn't help but shoot the younger woman a smile, turning back to one cashier and making her order as another figure to her right made his.

A familiar voice came from that one, belting off a very specific order that sent her eyebrows shooting upward.

"Mako?"

The figure turned about and smiled when his amber eyes met her dark blue ones. "Korra!" He waved her toward him. "What're you havin'?"

She shrugged. "Well, I didn't get to order yet."

He raised an eyebrow and nodded at the cashier in front of him. "My treat."

Smiling warmly, she thought about it for a few moments before listing off a double-espresso with extra sugar and a touch of caramel cream. They strode out of the shop with steaming mugs in hand, walking side-by-side down the crowded street, within sight of one of Republic City's parks and a fountain mounted in the middle of an artificial pond. She stared off into the distance, the fading sunlight casting a golden glow off the surface of the water, the fountain scattering streaks of light in all directions.

"I gotta say," Mako said after a while, "you've got great taste in coffee. We go to that place all the time, me and my buddies on the force."

Korra smirked and shrugged. "Well you know what they say." She bumped his arm with her elbow. "Great minds think alike."

He chuckled lightly, grinning as he looked out at the greenery, content to stay silent as they walked together, just like old times. Finally, he turned to her and nodded. "How've you been? How're the legs?"

She looked down and smirked. "Still functioning. Obviously."

Mako snorted a laugh.

"But no…I'm doing great. Life is…" she took a deep breath, " _life_ again."

"And what about Barry? He treating you well?"

Korra chuckled. "I honestly don't know how that's even a question. He couldn't hurt a fly." She looked at him sideways, frowning slightly. "Why do you ask?"

Mako shrugged. "No reason. Just checking up. Actually, he did mention there was something he wanted to tell me…but made me promise not to freak out." He arched an eyebrow at her. "Any ideas what that might be?"

Korra sucked her lips in, restraining a grin. "Maybe."

He poked her in the side several times. "Come on, tell me. Tell meeeee…"

The young woman giggled as he kept poking her in places he knew were ticklish, arms grasping to protect her sides as he actually looped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground, his hands actively tickling her as she kept laughing.

"Mako!" she laughed out when breathing became difficult.

"Fiiiiine," he mock-whined, setting her feet on the ground as she held onto him for balance, their embrace lasting over fifteen seconds as she caught her breath.

Releasing a few more choked laughs, Korra slowly disentangled herself, holding him at arm's length and sharing a long look as he shook his head, smiling down at her. A contented sigh left her lips as she finally let go of him, neither of them aware of another presence watching from a distance until her ocean-blue eyes spotted his distinctive auburn hair next to a lamppost. Her face split into a grin as she half-ran over to him, immediately leaping into his arms and noting the surprise on his face when they curled around her flying body, spinning her around him once.

By the time Barry set her down, a smile, however small, had returned to his face. She noticed.

"What's wrong, Bear?"

He just looked down at her, smiling a little wider and shaking his head slightly. "Nothin'. Just tired."

Her brows furrowed, but she kept silent. _He's lying._

Before she could think on it further, a beep sounded from his pocket. A sigh came from Barry's throat as his eyes rolled and he walked with her toward a nearby alley, waving absently to Mako, who was returning to his squad car. Barry dug the earpiece out of his pocket and put it on.

"Yeah. You did? Okay, I'll be right there." Barry turned to her with another sigh. "Asami and the others may have found our bank thief. They found a cash-only storage place that gives units to its customers no questions asked. It's the only thing remotely suspicious that they managed to pick up, and thus far the only lead we have."

She nodded. "Let's go."

His head shook, a dismissive smile on his face. "Nah, no reason for you to come along. Chances are it's nothing, and besides I have to go back to the station to get my suit anyway. Be kinda hard to explain why the Avatar just happened to appear in the middle of headquarters only to be zipped out a second later."

Korra stared at him for a second. "Right. Okay." She smiled. "Go get 'im."

He grinned and pecked her cheek before vanishing in a flash.

Her smile faded as the wind from his exit died down, a frown replacing it as she thought over Barry's actions.

…

2 minutes later

Dragon Flats borough

Lin and four other metalbenders strode toward a recently-emptied storage unit, focus razor-sharp as the proprietor listed off a basic description of its owner, who, by all indications, was human. She turned to her cops.

"We just missed him. Spread out."

And they did, but they didn't have to search far. Aside from them and the owner, the building was supposed to be empty, so when movement was detected barely forty feet from the empty unit, they all converged on it.

"Freeze!" Lin yelled, watching a dark-cloaked figure stop in his tracks, hands in the air at his sides, sunglasses held in one.

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" the figure asked mockingly.

Lin's eyes narrowed as she nodded to one of her cops. "Certo, cuff him."

The officer in question approached the figure, reaching out with a pair of cuffs. "Turn around, slowly," he ordered.

The man complied, Lin swearing she could see something glow even from her distance. A few slow blinks later, and her gaze shifted to the cop. "Certo, what are you doing? _Cuff_ him."

The cop turned toward her, snarling, his eyes glowing red. "You don't tell me what to do!"

Her green eyes widened. _Oh hell._ "Get down!"

…

Two metal cables split into four as the hijacked cop attacked his comrades, their sharp points spearing toward the cops at a faster rate than most would be able to dodge at that distance. But the Flash had outrun lightning before. This? This was nothing. A red streak bowled over three cops in quick succession before he tackled Lin out of the way of the last cable, both falling to the ground as metal speared through a wooden wall at their backs. Barry looked up at the attacking cop, who was recovering his weapons and preparing for another attack, running scenarios through his head of how he could take him down without doing damage.

The choice was taken from his hands when two fast-moving projectiles slammed into the man's shoulders, pinning him to the ground as he groaned in pain. Barry's head, along with Lin's, snapped toward the source, an open window—and the green-clad figure that stood just inside. The chief's jaw dropped slightly as a smile came to Barry's face.

He nodded to the Arrow. "Nice mask."

Oliver just smirked and tossed his bow into his off-hand, leaping for a support pillar and climbing into the rafters, making his exit in seconds. Barry couldn't help but shake his head as his smile turned into a full-blown grin, Lin giving him a sideways look as he chuckled. The Flash gave her a single nod before taking off in the direction of the other vigilante.

…

20 minutes later

Republic City outskirts

"It's comforting to know that no matter where you go, Big Belly Burger is always Big Belly Burger."

"You mean full of salt and grease?"

"I thought those were the secret ingredients." Felicity looked in the direction of an approaching motorcycle, the loud engine broadcasting its location. "Oliver's back." A flash of golden light caught her eye and held it as a smile broke over her features.

A gust of wind heralded the arrival of one Barry Allen—and caused the flight of several dozen fries from the other man present.

He grinned at Felicity. "By the way, I gave Oliver, like, a fifteen minute head start." That's when he noticed the dark-skinned man standing there, just staring at him openmouthed. "Hello…and who is this?"

Felicity blinked rapidly and turned to the person in question, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Barry, this is John Diggle. He's…part of the team."

"You're fast," Diggle said vacantly.

Barry stuck out his hand. "Barry Allen."

The man slowly took the appendage, mouth still hanging open.

Barry gave Felicity a sideways look. "Did you guys not tell him about me?"

"Seeing is believing," Felicity replied with a grin, looking at John from the side and snickering. "Or—drooling."

The speedster let out a chuckle as the approaching motorcycle came to a stop behind him, its rider dismounting and pulling his helmet off. Barry approached and nodded to him. "I meant what I said. Nice mask. Where'd you get it?"

Oliver gave him a look, then nodded at Felicity.

"Oh." A pause. "Hey, thanks for showin' up back there, but I had that."

Ollie smirked. "Uh huh."

"What? I was getting ready to make my move."

He snorted a laugh. "What move? The one to the morgue?"

Barry blinked rapidly and gave each person a look. "Wait, so…what are you guys doing in Republic City?"

"Working a case," Felicity replied. "Suspicious homicide in the Upper Ring where the murder weapon—" she pulled out a photograph of a body, "—is a boomerang."

Barry took the photo and looked it over for a few seconds. "Whoa. How do you know? There's no weapon in this picture."

"We've seen killings like this before," Oliver replied. "And there were trace amounts of a chemical substance in the wound, a poison containing platinum."

"It's a bit of a long shot," Felicity added, "but since Republic City's one of the biggest industrial powers in the market, not to mention that it houses a metalbending police force, it's also one of the biggest platinum producers in the world."

Barry nodded slowly, looking over the picture again. "Makes sense. You know Water Tribe hunters use boomerangs to hunt? Primarily arctic hippos, which are a surprisingly high source of—"

Oliver cleared his throat. "We were following up on a lead when we heard about the raid on the radio, and I thought that I would come by." He smirked. "Watch you make your move."

The speedster gave him a deadpan expression for several seconds when John spoke up.

"I had a cousin got hit by lightning once. He just developed a stutter."

"Huh," Barry murmured after a few seconds. "Well, my team and I are after a nasty…something that makes people angry."

"Cool," Felicity said, shaking her head a second later. "I mean awful."

"Uh…well, since you guys are here, why don't we team up?" He gave Oliver a glance. "I'll help you find your boomerang man, you can help me find my super rage-a-holic."

"We'd love to."

"No," Oliver interrupted, "we'll handle our business and head home."

Barry stared at him. "What?"

The Arrow gave him a firm look. "Trust me, Barry, you don't want any part of this."

Ice-blue eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. "Try me."

The vigilante stared at him for a while, then sighed hard. "Not here, not now. We've had a long trip, a long night…and something tells me your team will want to hear this too."

Barry nodded. "Tomorrow then. Think you can find your way to the airfield?"

He arched an eyebrow. "I think we can manage."

He grinned and slapped Oliver's shoulder. "Great." Barry was about to take off when he saw Felicity shifting from one foot to the other. "Something wrong?"

Her head snapped upright, shaking a second later. "Nope. I just…"

Barry's head tilted sideways. "What?"

She took a step toward him. "I'd love to see it. You know, your…base thing."

His eyebrows rose. "Like, right now?"

Felicity nodded animatedly, and Barry gave Oliver a questioning look, to which he just shrugged. Grinning, he picked her up and sped off into the night, leaving Oliver and Diggle staring after them. The dark man lifted his finger to point in their general direction.

"Man, that's not freakin' you out?"

Oliver just sighed and shook his head. "Let's go."

…

5 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

Barry and Felicity skidded into the empty command center, the speedster grinning at her openmouthed expression. "So what'd you think?"

"I think—" her eyes flew wide open when she looked down, "—my shirt's on fire!"

Quickly, they removed the combusting clothing, realizing too late that it was her _shirt_ on fire, and not her jacket. Barry and Felicity turned toward the stairwell door in time to see Cisco, Caitlin, and Korra stop and stare.

"I'm _really_ glad I decided not to go bra-less," Felicity whispered.

Looking to defuse the situation, Barry motioned vaguely to his blonde friend. "You guys remember Felicity, right?"

Cisco pulled a lollipop out of his mouth, a smug grin on his face. "I'll _always_ remember this."

Caitlin, sighing, pulled off her sweater and handed it to Felicity. "Hi, Felicity, it's so good to see you."

"Cisco, Cate," Barry said, "you mind showin' her around?"

Caitlin smiled, Cisco's smug grin still in place. "Of course," the doctor replied, taking her arm and leading her toward the suit storage room.

Barry took a deep breath and started pacing as his girlfriend approached him with crossed arms.

"So…what was _that_ all about?"

He snapped toward her. "Um. She was—I was running, with her, and her shirt kind of…caught on fire."

Korra's eyebrows made a valiant effort to join her hairline. "That's your story?"

Barry sputtered incoherently for several seconds before Korra busted out laughing at his beet-red face. He sighed hard, rolling his eyes. "Not funny."

"I dunno," she chuckled, "it's kinda funny, your face anyway."

The speedster huffed and shook his head, smiling.

"Hey." She poked his arm. "What was that about earlier?"

His brows furrowed. "What was what about?"

"You seemed…really low-key at the park, kinda down."

He shrugged. "Slow day. Tired. I dunno. Felt like too much effort to smile."

She frowned deeply. "Since when?"

Another shrug as he slowly pulled her into his arms, tucking her head under his chin. A deep breath was taken and exhaled, his eyes closing. "You want to know something?"

"What?"

"You push me, Korra. Always have."

She pulled away to arm's length and blinked up at him concernedly.

He smiled a little. "You push me to be better." His smile widened as he looked off to the side. "The first time I ever saved someone was two days after we met…and every time after…I dunno, it was like you were always there, in the back of my head, urging me on." He stroked her jaw with his thumb. "You've been there every day, these past nine months. Every time I falter or make a mistake, the thought of you is what keeps me going. Then, now…always. That's how I stopped that tsunami, and Girder, and Cold, and Mardon." He smiled dreamily. "You're my anchor, Korra, and without you…there wouldn't be the Flash."

Korra stared up at him, eyes clouding over and closing as her lips spread into a warm smile and gently pressed against his. She slowly pulled away a moment later. "Without you, Bear, I'd still be in a wheelchair." Her dark eyes opened and looked up into his. "There would be no Avatar." She held him close, laying her head on his chest. "You're my anchor too."

His fingers stroked her hair as a wave of relief rushed through him, a contented sigh flowing from his lips as they stretched into a grin. "We really are a bunch of sad saps."

Korra's chuckle vibrated through his torso, her voice lowering to a whisper. "I can still live with that."

Barry's eyes closed as another long breath was exhaled, his hands cupping her head and holding it close as his eyes closed. "Glad to hear it."

* * *

AN: Welcome to the start of The Flash vs. Arrow! I am super, super hyped for these next couple of chapters, but until I finish season two of _Kandosii'tal_ , I'll be updating less and less frequently. Thankfully, I only have one or two more chapters to go, but it'll still take a while for me to finish the next entry. Anyway, I am exhausted and ready for a nap or dozen, but I still have miles to go before I sleep. See you guys next time, and please review.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash vs. Arrow - Rainbow Raider Strikes: "What's wrong" to "Nice mask"; Team Arrow in Central City: start-1:58—Felicity and Digg to "Let's go"


	21. Blind

Blind (adj.): unable to see; sightless; alternatively, lacking perception, awareness, or discernment.

1 day later

Future Industries Airfield, Republic City

9 months, 2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Whatcha got?"

Caitlin bit her lower lip, turning toward a stack of police reports on her desk. "The cop that was affected by our meta reported seeing a 'flash of red' before going haywire. Based on previous witness accounts, I think this man exhibits some kind of…chimerical traits."

Barry and Korra exchanged a look, the latter shrugging. "English?"

Cate sighed. "Spirit and human."

The couple stared at her openmouthed.

"He _looks_ human, and for all intents and purposes is—except for the fact that he can possess people without altering his own bodily structure."

Korra blinked hard, shaking her head. "That's…impossible, apart from bloodbending."

"But last I checked," Barry countered, "bloodbending doesn't affect emotions. These victims may not have been in full control of their actions, but they were still…theirs."

Caitlin held up a finger in thought. "I think the meta may be possessed himself, or otherwise can impart a sliver of spiritual essence to cause a kind of…spiritual corruption."

"Like that dark energy at the bank," Barry said.

Korra's brows furrowed as her arms crossed. "I've seen spirits go haywire because of corruption, just get so angry that they can't think straight…but humans? They're usually the ones who _cause_ it."

A huff left Barry's throat. "Ten to one odds a _metahuman_ caused _this_ one."

She gave him a look. "You mean—"

"The Reverse-Flash. It's the only possible explanation for everything we've discovered so far."

The Avatar's eyes rolled. "The man in yellow…just the gift that keeps on giving."

"But at least we now know how to stop his victims," Caitlin suggested, waving at Korra.

"She's right," Barry agreed. "If you could use spiritbending to neutralize dark spirits, something tells me you can do the same to the essence in infected victims."

Korra shrugged. "It's worth a shot." She nodded at the doctor. "Anything else?"

Caitlin shook her head slowly, a sharp breath entering her lungs as something occurred to her. "Oh. Barry, Chief wants to see you." She motioned toward the suit storage room.

Barry exchanged a look with Korra before proceeding inside alone. He was immediately greeted by a stern-looking Lin Beifong and Eddie Thorne. "Why do I feel like I just got called into the principal's office?"

"The Hood," Eddie said flatly, arms crossed.

"He calls himself the Arrow now," Barry corrected.

"Does he, Flash?" Lin asked sharply.

The speedster looked between them. "I'm sorry, what's the problem?"

His two semi-guardians exchanged a look. "We don't trust him," Eddie admitted.

Barry huffed. "You don't even _know_ him."

"And you do?" Lin asked.

"Yes. Yes I do. We were…kinda friends growing up, more like acquaintances, but still. He's a good guy, and the last time we met him—"

"The last time we met," Lin interrupted, "we made a deal that would keep the Arrow out of Republic City _permanently_. His presence alone violates that deal."

"Okay, listen…I don't actually disagree with you there, but the main reason that deal even existed no longer applies. He doesn't kill people anymore."

"So, what, the other times just don't count?"

Barry stayed silent.

Eddie sighed. "Look, Barry. There's no denying that he does good work. He's been keeping a situation in the Earth Kingdom from descending into open civil war for _months_ now, on top of taking down one of the world's deadliest assassins. That aside, the fact that he is here now complicates things."

Barry huffed and threw his hands up. "He's a _hero_ , Eddie."

" _You're_ a hero, Barry," Lin objected. "You offer protection, hope, light. What _that_ man does is carry out a dark reckoning for his city. It is a _brutal_ , violent vision of justice…one that we do not share."

He stared the two of them down for several seconds before a knock resounded at the door. The trio turned to see Cisco standing in the doorway.

"Sorry. This a bad time?"

Barry sighed hard, then shook his head. "Nah, we were just finishing up." He nodded toward Eddie. "Cisco's been waitin' for you to help with the treadmill."

Eddie smiled a little and nodded. "Gotcha." He gave one last look to Lin before rising and patting Barry on the shoulder as he walked past. "See ya Bear."

The moment he was out of sight, Barry's smile faded and he turned back to the woman.

"Look, Barry," Lin sighed. "You really think he's a hero, fine. But he's not the kind you should be looking up to."

Barry's jaw tightened for a moment before he exhaled slowly. "Look, let's just see what brought him here…and then we can decide whether or not to kick him out."

…

30 minutes later

"Is that an—"

"FI-26 precision cutter?" Cisco grinned. "Yep."

Felicity's eyes were wide and sparkling as she gingerly ran her hands over the machine, an amused Barry and Korra watching from the side. "I want one."

"For what it's worth," Cisco chuckled, "I think your boss can afford it."

"Speaking of," Eddie said from his spot under the treadmill, "when's he getting here?"

Felicity whipped over to him. "You—should probably go, actually."

"Huh?"

"The Arrow's…not too fond of meeting new people…specifically when it involves telling them his secret identity."

Cisco gave Eddie a sideways look. "You mean he doesn't know—"

Felicity's head shook.

"Oh…yeah, you should, uh…you should go, man. Don't want him to get all…arrowey."

"Is that even a word?" Korra asked.

"It is now."

Eddie's blue eyes flickered over to Barry with a long, pointed look. "If this Arrow guy's so dangerous, why are you letting him come here at all?"

Barry frowned when he saw the crestfallen look on Felicity's face. "Because he's not dangerous…to us." He huffed, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I don't know what your guys' problem is. He's _just_ like us."

"Just with more…pointy objects," Felicity added with a shy smile.

Sensing the tension in the room, Eddie smiled at the girl and nodded. "I'll go. Let me just get my coat."

A gust of wind sent a few papers flying and Eddie's coat into his hand. The man chuckled.

"Much appreciated." He stood there and stared at Barry for a few seconds, shaking his head. "I'm never gonna get used to that."

Barry grinned and shrugged. "I thought so too, 'til I figured out I could run on water. At that point, nothing seemed strange anymore."

Eddie just chuckled and shook his head, making for the exit. A pronounced silence fell over the room until Korra broke it.

"So when _is_ Oliver getting here?"

Felicity checked her watch. "Should be…right about now, actually."

"Think Eddie ran into him on the way out?" Barry asked.

"No," a new voice replied, "but he did run into me."

Barry turned toward the door and smiled, approaching their new guest. "Mr. Diggle."

He smiled and shook his hand. "C'mon, man, don't be so formal. It's just Diggle, or Digg if you like."

The speedster nodded as Korra approached the dark-skinned man.

"Avatar Korra," she said warmly, holding out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

He grinned. "Likewise." Digg turned toward the door and waved. "And now, the man of the hour."

Blonde hair was the first thing to be seen, followed by a thick torso and a long brown jacket, hands in its pockets. Oliver Queen's boyish yet regal form came into full view a moment later, his face smiling slightly as he stepped into the control center.

"Hear I've been causing quite the stir," Oliver said with surprising warmth.

Asami glanced over at an expectant Barry before responding. "Well, these days you can't be too careful. Besides, the last time you were here…"

Oliver grimaced. "Yeah. I remember." He looked over at Barry. "Sorry about the leg."

The speedster just snickered and shook his head.

"Mr. Queen," said a new voice from the storage room.

The man in question took a deep breath. "Chief Beifong."

She strode just inside the room and leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed. "When last we met, I seem to remember making a deal with you that involved a little black book, a list of Red Lotus conspirators, and a requirement for you to stay the hell out of my city. Mind explaining why you're violating that last bit?"

"I recognize that I made a deal with you, and ordinarily, I'd follow it to the letter."

Lin arched an eyebrow. "But?"

His expression turned grim. "This is a special case, and it has nothing to do with the Red Lotus."

Her green eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"Felicity." He motioned to the blonde, who pulled a file from her messenger bag and laid it out on the room's central table. "Two weeks ago, we discovered a string of suspicious murders at various tiers of Ba Sing Se, all with the same MO." He pulled a photo from the set, a victim lying face-up with a boomerang in his chest. "Killed by a boomerang poisoned with a platinum-heavy toxin. We believe the perpetrator is this man." Oliver slapped a mug shot on the table of a grim-faced convict with dark eyes. "Digger Harkness, assassin-for-hire. Used to make a living hunting animals in the Southern Water Tribe. Now he hunts people."

"And?"

He looked over at Lin, then at Barry. "Harkness isn't the important part. The man he's working for is." Another picture was pulled from deeper in the file, blurry and indistinct, but still showing a dark figure all in black, armed with a bow, with what looked like studded armor across his chest and a masked hood over his head. "They call him ' _Al Sa-Her_.'"

Barry's eyebrows shot up. "Ominous."

Oliver looked up at him. "It means 'The Magician.'" He looked back down at the photo, pointing. "This man is personally responsible for over a dozen confirmed killings in Ba Sing Se, mostly corrupt businessmen and politicians."

"Sounds a bit like you, to be honest," Lin said flatly.

The archer shot her a sharp look. "Except for the fact that he's also indirectly responsible for two terror attacks, and the planning of at least three others, which I stopped. The aim of each—" he flipped a page to show the two successful attacks, "—was to discredit Count Vertigo and his rebellion."

Barry wagged a finger at the file. "I've been reading up a little on this Vertigo character, and for the life of me, I can't figure it out." He shrugged. "What's his deal?"

Oliver blinked. "Vertigo's real name is Werner Zytle. He's the last living member of House Vertigo, a 'noble' family in the Earth Kingdom, one of the last still standing after the country fell apart. When Kuvira started putting things back together, he…I believe 'freaked out' is the technical term."

"I don't get it," Korra said. "If Kuvira's setting things right, then why is Zytle making such a big deal about it?"

"Because," Digg replied, "during the insurrection, his family's lands were seized by the populace. When Kuvira restored order, he asked to have them back." His arms crossed. "She refused."

Korra's brows furrowed. "Why?"

"Zytle and his ilk weren't exactly the most upstanding citizens," Oliver explained, leaning his hands against the table. "In fact, whatever corrupt dealings the last queen was a part of, the Vertigo family was one of her chief beneficiaries. In return—"

"They helped her shake down the commoners." Her head shook. "Extortionist bi—"

"Korra," Barry chided.

She arched an eyebrow at him and stuck her tongue out. "She's lucky I didn't pulverize her the last time we met."

"Though based on how she died," Oliver responded, "something tells me that would've been a mercy."

Korra shivered as she gave him a look. "Don't remind me," she whispered.

Barry curled an arm around her shoulders, looking to Oliver. "So where does this Magician character fit in?"

The archer frowned and stared at the file. "I'm still not sure. By all indications, he opposes Zytle, but his methods are far too extreme to be government." A long silence passed before he looked up at Lin. "That uncertainty is why I had to come here. Harkness is the only solid tie we've had to _Al Sa-Her_ in months. Hopefully he'll be able to get us some answers once we track him down."

Lin stared at the file for a few moments before sighing. "What do you need?"

Oliver looked up in surprise, then straightened. "Access to ledgers, cargo manifests, anything that can be used to track the movement of platinum in this city. Harkness is getting his toxin from somewhere."

Asami spoke up. "Since I'm more connected to local industry than the chief, I'll see what I can do about getting your information, especially since we plate our mecha tanks with platinum. We'll find him," she assured Oliver.

The man smiled a little. "Thank you." He nodded to his team and made for the door, getting halfway down the stairs before a voice stopped them.

"Whoa," Barry said, "that's it?"

Oliver stopped and turned to him. "The bad guy that you're after, the one who rented that storage unit? His name is Roy G. Bivolo."

"So he _is_ human," Barry whispered, eyebrows furrowed. "Thanks." He looked back up at Oliver. "Uh, how did you find that out?"

Oliver just blinked and gave him a look.

Barry inhaled sharply. "The guy's still alive, right?"

His head tilted as if to ask, "Really?"

"I'm just…asking." His brows furrowed. "I thought you didn't want to help."

"I'm not," Oliver insisted. "It's…just a name."

Barry stared at him for a second, glancing at a sighing Felicity. "Okay," he said disbelievingly, turning back toward the control center and grinning to himself.

…

Oliver stood there for a few seconds, breathing out slowly before looking at his very blonde girlfriend. "Felicity, this is me, noticing you staring."

She tilted her head up slightly. "We need to help Barry with his case."

Oliver rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Why don't you want to help?"

"Because Barry doesn't really _want_ my help, he only thinks he does."

"Lin Beifong and his…scientist big brother person accused you of being dangerous and a bad influence." She leaned toward him, looping her arms around his neck. "Barry defended you." When he still refused to budge, she drew closer and pouted slightly.

Oliver's eyes squeezed shut as he sighed hard, tilting his head toward the ceiling, then looking back down at her with a smirk. "You're gonna hock me about this until I say yes, aren't you?"

Felicity grinned and nodded rapidly as Digg snickered in the background. "Mhm. I'm a hocker."

His brows furrowed. "Is that even a word?"

"It is now," she whispered into his lips before theirs met, Diggle letting out an awkward cough in the background. Pulling away, Felicity turned bright red and quickly let go of Oliver as he too paced awkwardly. She cleared her throat. "So. Are you gonna tell him, or should I?"

Oliver just rolled his eyes and marched back up the stairs into the control room, where a slightly surprised Barry glanced at his watch and smirked. Ollie sighed and approached him. "Okay."

The speedster's eyebrows rose expectantly as his smirk widened and the whole room turned to watch. "Okay what?"

"Okay, we'll help you catch your bad guy."

Barry grinned. "Great. Metahuman."

Oliver gritted his teeth. "I am _not_ calling him that, Barry."

Behind Oliver, someone, probably Cisco, let out a snicker as the Flash's girlfriend just grinned and shook her head.

Barry rolled his eyes and extended his hand. "So, partners?"

Ollie let out a long breath and shook it, involuntarily noting the disapproving glares Lin was throwing his way. "Partners."

As he left the building to prepare, Oliver couldn't help but pick up how she got close to Barry, or the quietly spoken, "I hope you know what you're doing," that carried more than a note of suspicion and disappointment. As he walked toward the rest of his team and out of the building, he could only hope that Felicity was right. Otherwise…this was going to be a very short partnership.

…

4 hours later

Republic City outskirts

A streak of golden lightning sped into the field where Oliver Queen stood staring out into the distance.

"Hey!" Barry called as he approached him.

"You're late," Oliver replied flatly. "Barry, how can you have superspeed and _still_ not be on time?"

He cringed. "Sorry. I guess the super-tardiness kinda neutralizes it." He took a long look around. "So…how do we catch Bivolo here?"

"Oh, no, we _don't_ here. We're here to train."

Barry gave him a sideways look. "Just so you know, I've been trained by the Avatar _and_ the Chief."

Oliver's head tilted. "I read a series of articles on you, many of them by a Linda Park. Visited every crime scene you've fought at."

"Don't you _sleep_?"

He didn't reply. "Two months ago, you confronted a man named Leonard Snart."

Barry grinned. "We call him Captain Cold."

Oliver shot him a look. "We can talk about you giving your enemies silly codenames later."

The speedster's eyebrows shot up as he let out a snicker. "What, you mean like over coffee with Count Vertigo and the Huntress?"

Ollie winced. "The _point_ is that you engaged Snart on a commuter train, which he derailed."

Barry winced and shrugged. "Okay, there may have been some damage, but I got the job done. I was the hero."

"Barry, when you approach a new environment, do you case every inch of it? You could. You have the time. But you don't. You just run in blind."

"That time was different," Barry insisted as he looked down and away. "And…admittedly, I wasn't exactly in the best state of mind."

His features softened slightly. "Which is exactly my point." Oliver marched toward his parked bike, the speedster following him. "There is a difference, Barry, between powers and having precision."

"When I came to see you, you said I could be an inspiration to people."

He reached down and grabbed his bow and an arrow. "Living this life takes more than a mask, it takes discipline." He nocked the arrow, taking a deep breath. "And since you are probably as stubborn as I am—"

"Whoa," Barry interrupted, pointing at the loaded bow. "What is that for?"

Oliver glanced behind him. "You're gonna run over there, then you're gonna come back at me, and you're gonna get hit with an arrow."

Barry glanced at the spot, then back at Oliver. "No I'm not," he laughed.

Oliver chuckled. "Yes you are."

The speedster grinned. "Okay, Oliver, the last and only time you managed to hit me was because I was blindsided."

"Mhm, and you were blindsided because you rushed in without thinking."

Barry's eyes rolled as he sighed. "Fine. I will _humor_ you." He sprinted over to a nearby hill. "Ready?!"

Oliver drew back the arrow and took aim, letting out a breath. "Ready."

He held it for another two seconds before releasing as Barry's blurred form streaked toward him. The projectile stopped six inches from his chest as the speedster held it by the shaft.

Barry arched both eyebrows smugly. "Nice try."

"Hm," was Oliver's only response as two arrows hit Barry from behind.

The speedster shrieked as he looked behind to see two green shafts sticking out of his back. His head whipped back to Oliver. "You shot me?!"

Oliver smirked as he walked behind him and gripped both arrows. "I heard you heal fast."

Barry let out another shriek as they were unceremoniously yanked from his back, giving Oliver a death glare as the archer suppressed laughter and marched off toward his bike. "That is _not_ funny."

He let out a tiny snicker. "It's kinda funny, when you think about it." He put both arrows back in his quiver, placing his bow in its slot as he sat on the bike. "I'm actually surprised you didn't spot that, considering you figured out how I used the remote crossbow on Lin last time I was here."

Barry grimaced. "Yeah, I'm…a little disappointed with myself on that one too."

Oliver grinned and shook his head. "This is why we need to train."

The speedster gave him a stare.

"Look, Barry, I'm not saying you aren't good, because by all reports, this city would be a whole lot of rubble if you weren't. I'm just saying that there's still room for improvement."

Sighing hard, Barry swallowed his pride and nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay…" An image of a yellow blur flashed through his vision, his jaw tightening. He looked back up at Oliver. "So what's next?"

…

2 hours later

Police HQ

Barry's brows furrowed as he spotted a gray-haired military officer in Lin's office, the pair in a heated argument until the chief shot him a death glare and said something that sent him storming out of the room. He shoved past Barry as the CSI grabbed his smacked shoulder and shot him a frown.

"Rude," he muttered, entering the office a second later and knocking on the doorframe.

She arched an eyebrow at him, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Need something, Allen?"

He jerked his thumb toward the door. "What was that all about?"

Her upper lip twitched. " _That_ was General Wade Eiling. He wants to reinstitute the anti-Flash task force, citing him as a 'potential menace to society.'" She snorted. "If I had an arrest warrant for every potential menace in Republic City, half the population would be behind bars."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Think he's gonna be trouble?"

She sighed and smiled a little. "Not the kind you'll have to deal with, if I have anything to say about it." Her expression sobered. "You, however, forgot to tell me that you got Bivolo's name from shooting that storage guy in the leg."

He paled slightly. "Well, technically I didn't shoot him."

Lin arched an eyebrow and rose from her seat to approach him. "Well, what word would you use to describe how you got this information? I'm gonna go with…torture."

Barry sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I…look, the Arrow gets results."

"He's a crazy man."

He chuckled softly. "Okay, I don't actually disagree with you at the moment, but we wouldn't even have Bivolo's name if it weren't for the Arrow." Barry sighed hard. "And whether or not we like it, he saved both our lives last night…so maybe instead of judging him, you should just be thanking him."

Lin's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the CSI gulped involuntarily. "Get over to the airfield. I think Thorne's making some progress with that treadmill."

Barry let out a relieved sigh as she went back to her desk. "That all, Chief?"

She arched an eyebrow as she sat back down. "What were you expecting, a cookie? Get out of here."

The CSI sighed and shook his head, grinning as he walked out the door, bumping into Mako.

"Oh, hey Bear."

"Mako. What's up?"

The detective frowned and looked over the bullpen. "Yeah…this latest robbery case has us all in a twist." He looked back at Barry. "You got _anything_ that can give us a leg up on this guy?"

"Well…I recently found out that his name is Roy G. Bivolo."

Mako arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"What?"

The detective smirked. "Roy. G. Bivolo."

Barry shrugged. "What?"

Mako sighed and shook his head. "Roy. G—"

"Oooooh…I get it." His brows furrowed. "Like the light spectrum…and one of his victims reported seeing a flash of red, too…that's a bit of a strange coincidence."

"Little _too_ strange, if you ask me."

"But honestly, since the Flash, what's weird anymore?"

Mako snorted a laugh. "Got that right. Speaking of weird, I still don't understand why you've been so on edge around me lately."

"W-What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Well, first it was at the station, then the crime scene, and then it was at the park with Korra."

Barry frowned at the mention of the last one. "I'm fine. Just…dealing with a lot right now."

Mako arched an eyebrow. "Relationship problems? I mean, I talked to Korra yesterday, and it sounded like everything was fine with you two."

He stared at him openmouthed for a second. "Oh…so you…talked to Korra? Huh."

The detective shrugged. "Is that so weird? We're old friends, Barry."

The CSI forced a smile. "Y-Yeah, I know. Nah, it's not weird. Sorry. I just haven't been sleeping so well lately. No, we're good, Korra and me. We're all good."

Mako gave him a concerned look, but nodded. "Okay. Well, I'll let you get back to work."

"Mhm." Barry walked off toward the exit.

"Um, Bear?"

"Yeah?"

"Your lab's _that_ way."

He let out a chuckle. "Right." His smile faded as soon as Mako was out of sight. He was gone the next second.

…

Future Industries Airfield

"So, Felicity, have you ever heard of chimeric symbiosis?"

"The theory that two races can be bonded on a more permanent level without harm?"

Caitlin sighed and grinned. "It is _so_ nice to have another woman to talk to."

Felicity gave her a confused look.

Caitlin shrugged. "Asami's great and all, but...she's our boss. And Korra's, well...a bit of a tomboy."

The blonde chuckled and gave her a small nod.

"So, having another _very_ intelligent girly girl around is...a nice change from the norm."

Felicity let out a small groan. "I _know_. Not that I don't love my boys and all, but…yeesh, I swear the testosterone levels get outright toxic."

Cate let out a small giggle. "Well, I was thinking that if Bivolo is somehow manipulating spiritual energy, that…" Her voice trailed off as her expression darkened.

Felicity gave her a concerned look. "Caitlin?"

She inhaled sharply, looking up at the blonde. "What? Oh, yes. Um…I was thinking that the Reverse-Flash may have figured out a way to…I don't know, bond a human with an angry spirit, without doing permanent damage to either of them."

The blonde nodded slowly. "Okay?"

"And…I was thinking…that if he managed to pull that off with Bivolo…maybe he could've done it with someone else."

Felicity arched an eyebrow. "Like?"

Cate's lips pursed, and she reached over to her desk, pulling a thick file off it. "Ronnie Raymond."

Felicity blinked hard, looking over the contents of the file, including a picture of Cate with Ronnie, both smiling. "You…your…"

"Fiancé."

"Oh…wow." She blinked rapidly, looking up at Cate. "What makes you think—"

"Because he's alive, Felicity. I saw him, when the Reverse-Flash tried to kill me during the sting. He stepped in, saved Barry's life."

Felicity looked back down at the file, her eyes scanning over an article by Linda Park. "The 'Burning Man'?"

"That's what they're calling him," she replied softly. "And for good reason. When I knew him, he _wasn't_ that powerful of a firebender. Used his abilities mostly for welding and cutting, ya know, engineering stuff. But now…"

"Now he can cause outright infernos just by flicking his hands."

"And the way his head and hands burst into flames…it's not natural." Caitlin frowned, the women sharing a look. "I don't think Ronnie's…Ronnie anymore."

Letting out a choppy breath, Felicity looked down at the file, and the one blurry picture they had of this…Burning Man. "Wow…" She looked back up at Cate. "I am gonna look into this when I get back home, okay?"

Caitlin smiled a little and nodded. "I appreciate it. Thank you."

Felicity smiled back brightly, turning when someone cleared their throat by the door.

"Hey Felicity," Eddie called. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," she replied, walking over to him and stepping into a hallway out of Cate's earshot.

"Look…you know how much I've always cared about Barry."

"Of course."

"And…you know I don't like unknown quantities, mainly because I find them to be dangerous and toxic." He turned to her as they stopped walking. "The Arrow is unknown."

She sighed. "I can assure you, Eddie, he's not dangerous—to us."

"Well…of that I have little doubt, and yet I find myself with a conundrum." Eddie leaned closer. "How can I completely trust a man when I don't even know his name?"

Felicity gave him a long look.

"So…I was hoping that you could help me trust him. Who is he under the hood?"

Her eyes narrowed and lips pursed. "That is not my secret to tell."

A long, tense silence passed between them before Eddie smiled and nodded. "Of course." He walked off, hands in the pockets of his lab coat. "I'll figure it out on my own."

Felicity stared after him for a long moment before a gust of wind at her back got her attention. "Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hey," he replied, somewhat glumly.

"How'd it go with Oliver?"

"Ugh," he groaned, walking into the control center. "You know, to be honest, not exactly the partnership I had in mind."

"Did he really do the thing with the arrows?"

Barry whirled on her, a disbelieving look on his face. "You _knew_ he was gonna shoot me?"

She backed up a step. "Whoa, it is practically impossible to tell when Oliver's making a joke."

The speedster shot her a skeptical look before shaking his head and striding into the command center. Asami and Caitlin were leaned over a desk, the former tuned into the police frequency.

"Barry," Asami called. "We just got a report of a severe domestic dispute near an abandoned Triad den."

"Where?" he asked, already heading for his suit.

"Corner of Jarvis and Tenth, Dragon Flats."

He nodded once, pulling his suit off the dummy.

"We should let the Arrow know," Felicity said.

"I can handle this solo," Barry replied offhandedly. "I've done it before."

Her brows furrowed in concern. "Barry, I really think you need to wait—"

"Felicity," he interrupted sharply, his tone bearing an edge she'd rarely heard. "I don't need his help."

A gust of wind later, and he was gone.

…

2 minutes later

Dragon Flats borough

The Flash sped down one street after the next, heading for Bivolo's location and streaking through the open door, the building's disrepair evident from the stripped paint and doors hanging off their hinges. One was still intact, and locked to boot. He held the knob with one hand, vibrating it at rapid speeds until the bolts came off and the knob detached from the door. Pushing it open, his jaw clenched as his eyes scanned over the room, the speedster moving halfway inside before hearing the rattling of loose floorboards behind him. He whirled around to see Bivolo standing there, smirking malevolently.

"I knew you'd be coming for me," he drawled smugly. "I could see it in your eyes at the bank. When I turned those people against each other," he smiled wider, "it made you angry."

Barry snarled and yelled as he tacked him across the room into a wall, the hybrid grunting at the impact, but staring him down nonetheless.

"Have some _real_ anger."

The next thing Barry knew, he was staring into an overwhelming wall of red, hearing faint whispers in his subconscious as he blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear it away. When his vision finally stabilized, he was alone, and knew without a doubt that either Oliver, Lin, or Eddie would be reaming him out later. Probably all three.

…

2 hours later

Future Industries Airfield

"No signs of macular damage. Your retina and cornea seem unaffected."

Barry sighed. "I told you, I'm fine."

"You said Bivolo 'whammied' you," Korra said uncertainly.

Felicity also gave Barry a concerned look. "No desire to go all psycho on any of us?"

He shrugged. "No. I mean, something weird happened with his eyes for a sec."

Korra arched a brow. "Something weird?"

"Yeah. His eyes…everything went red."

Korra looked over at Caitlin. "You were right."

Barry's eyes rolled, and he pushed himself off the medical bed. "Next thing you know, Bivolo was gone." He strode out of the med bay, past a watching Lin and Eddie. "Look, obviously his powers didn't work on me, for one reason or another, so—"

"It was stupid for you to go out there alone," Caitlin scolded. "You take too many risks. Fast as you are, that's gonna catch up with you."

He sighed in annoyance and turned on her. "Caitlin, I'm not Ronnie. You gotta stop treating me like I am."

Korra's jaw dropped slightly as both Felicity and Lin's eyebrows shot upward. Caitlin just stared at him, her expression fading to a blank stare.

"You're right," she replied coldly, striding past him. "You're not."

Barry just rolled his eyes and sighed, looking over at a dumbstruck Korra. "What?"

Korra winced slightly at his tone, walking toward him and looking him over for a second before shaking her head. "You are such a lovable dummy."

He arched an eyebrow. "Thanks?"

The Avatar rolled her eyes and walked in Cate's direction, leaving Barry to face the wrath of his guardians. Lin stayed silent, instead heading over to speak with Felicity, but Eddie grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side.

"Caitlin's not wrong, Barry."

His head tilted. "You too? Really?"

Eddie frowned. "Bear, when you brought me into the fold, I stood behind you all the way because I thought you knew what you were doing, because I thought you had everything under control. But being here the last few days? Seeing what you're up against, _and_ how you respond?" His head shook as he huffed disbelievingly.

"What?" Barry asked with rising heat.

"Barry, you think that because you can run fast that you're invincible. You're _not_."

The speedster's expression turned progressively more sour.

"You have a sterling career, a great group of friends, and yet for some reason, that's still not enough. Instead, you have to go out there and risk your life, and for what? Because of survivor's guilt, 'cause of your parents?"

"Excuse me?" he hissed in disbelief. "There is no guilt in what I do, and in case you didn't notice from the freaking attempted murder over a year ago, I'm _already_ at risk. But now? Now I can actually make a difference in this city, stop crimes instead of just cleaning up after them."

"Really?" Eddie's head shook slowly. "I'm sorry, Bear, but I cannot stand idly and let you commit suicide because you have some kind of _hero_ complex!"

Barry's eyes narrowed dangerously as everyone around them turned in the direction of their argument.

Eddie's gaze hardened. "You're not a hero. You're just a kid who was struck by lightning."

Barry stared at him for a few seconds before huffing into a series of low, dark chuckles. "You're serious? Let me explain something to you, Eddie." He stepped toward him threateningly. "I didn't 'bring you into the fold' so you could question my decisions, and I sure as _hell_ don't have to listen to this crap. I've listened to doubt before, from Lin, from Korra, even myself, and all that's _ever_ done is hold me back, okay? People have _died_ because I've held back."

"Barry—"

"No," he interrupted, voice rising. "I was doing this for nine _months_ before I had you breathing down my neck, trying to 'protect' me, and I am still _here_. Why? Because you're _wrong_. 'Cause I _am_ a hero." He snarled and got up in Eddie's face. "I'm the _Flash_ …and I don't need your approval to do my job." Barry turned and walked toward the door. "Nor do I want it."

Eddie stared at him openmouthed. "No, wait, Barry, that's not what I—"

He was gone a second later.

…

Korra stared at the space Barry had just occupied, her ocean blue eyes slowly turning to Eddie. "He's right."

The man turned to face her.

"Doubt is the last thing he needs right now. Indecision, hesitation…that's what's gonna get him killed. It already almost has." She approached him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "And doubt from someone like _you_ , someone he respects and trusts, is gonna hurt him the most."

Eddie stared at her wordlessly.

Korra turned for the door. "If you really want to keep him safe, you'll stand behind him, not in his way."

…

20 minutes later

Republic City, Residential District

 _I can't_ believe _him._

Barry scowled at his countertop, his hands vibrating as he wiped off a grease stain from yesterday's dinner. The otherwise empty apartment was the perfect place for what was currently occupying his mind. He'd been brooding over Eddie's actions for the last twenty minutes almost non-stop, everything in him seething. Well, almost everything. A small but critical part of himself was experiencing overwhelming hurt. How could Eddie, of all people, his big brother, his _mentor_ , say something like that to him? Did he have any _notion_ of how important being the Flash was to him? With a snort, he decided that the answer to that question was no.

Tossing the cleaning rag into the sink, Barry rinsed off his hands and grabbed the towel as several knocks sounded at his door. Sighing hard, he marched over to the entrance and pulled it open to see Korra standing there. His eyes rolled.

"If you're here to scold me about earlier, I think I've had all I can handle for one day."

She stayed utterly silent, instead stepping toward him with purpose, her expression focused. Barry's eyes shot wide open as she grabbed both sides of his face and pulled his lips down to hers, her leg kicking the door closed behind them as she half-dragged him toward his room. Immediately responding, he kissed her back with equal ferocity, holding her against him as he zipped them inside, the door shutting behind them as he laid her on his bed back-first. He loomed over her, hands braced on the mattress on either side of her head as his head leaned down.

The couple's movements were cloaked in shadow as Barry lost his shirt and Korra her braids, her hair hanging loosely around her head as one thing led to the next. All said, they lay in bed twenty minutes later, Barry's head laid against her bare shoulder, his right hand absently stroking her side as hers weaved through his auburn hair. The younger man let out a long, contented sigh as he nuzzled and kissed her neck tenderly, his frustrations and energy utterly spent in a frenzied make-out session that would likely leave bruises on his girlfriend the next day.

As they lay there, she whispered gently in his ear, soft statements that made his heart do little flips and his arms hold her just a little tighter. When all was said and done, his face was buried in her neck and his lips pressed against her collarbone, small amounts of moisture leaking from his closed eyes.

"Korra," he whispered after a while.

"Hm?" she murmured sleepily.

"I…I don't know what I'll do if I ever lose you."

The girl sighed and smiled down at him as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Put it out of your head. Whatever happens between us…you're never gonna lose me."

Barry squeezed his eyes shut and nodded into her neck. He dropped off to sleep a few seconds later.

* * *

AN: Ok…so wow, this took forever to write. I am so so _so_ sorry that I haven't updated in so long. Between Star Wars and Arrow and traveling and the Wild Hunt and massive writer's block—let's just say it's been difficult to write as of late and leave it at that. Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying this story arc thus far. The climax is fast approaching, and with it will come a whole slew of interpersonal issues and conflict.

Stay tuned for next time's confrontation between the Flash and the Arrow.

 _Oya_ , _vode._

\- CDrake

The Flash vs. Arrow - Training Barry: out in the field/getting shot; What's Up, Doc?: Eddie and Felicity to getting whammied; Barry Gets Whammied: start-0:44—arguing with Eddie


	22. The Flash vs Arrow

AN: No definitions this chapter. I felt the need to stick with tradition as far as chapter titles go, though we'll be back to it come next chapter.

* * *

Next morning

Republic City, Residential District

9 months, 2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

A relaxed, feminine sigh was what woke Barry up. His lightning-fast mind sped through a dozen possibilities and memories before the events of last night came to the fore. His eyes snapped open to see Korra's mussed hair strewn all about her head, a good amount of it caught on his before he blew it away, smirking at her current state. His arms curled around her mostly-bare upper torso, holding her to him tightly and possessively as he pressed a firm kiss to her neck. A drowsy hum came from Korra's throat as she leaned into him, nuzzling his auburn hair and causing a small chuckle to rumble through his bare chest. Barry held her closer, reveling in the feel of her silky skin and hair.

That is, until he heard his bedroom's door creaking open.

Ice-blue eyes widened to their max as the portal opened a quarter of the way, his perception going at lightspeed as he thought quickly. A blink and a gust of wind later, and he was alone in bed.

"Barry?"

"Wha?" he asked, feigning drowsiness.

Mako shifted sheepishly. "I was, uh…working on something, the Bivolo case, and I found some irregularities."

"Did you?" Barry asked, his eyes flickering behind the door, where a panicking Korra was casting horrified looks in his direction.

"In your study of the bank's crime scene, you said there were no chemical agents or anything else that could influence someone's mind like that. And then, when Chief and the others tried to arrest him, all he did was look at the cop, and he turned on us."

The CSI's head shook slightly. "So?"

"So, I'm thinking…what if Bivolo uses some kind of…mental abilities, like, telepathy or something, to influence his victims?"

Barry arched an eyebrow. "Telepathy? Little out of the realm of possibility, don't you think?"

Mako crossed his arms defensively. "As opposed to a man who can run faster than the speed of sound?"

He huffed good-naturedly, smirking. "Touché. So what do you need me for?"

The detective shifted. "That's where things get iffy. If this is some kind of…supernatural ability we've never seen before, we have to find a way to develop a counter of some sort. Otherwise, we'll never be able to arrest him."

Barry shrugged as he stepped out of bed, pulling on a red shirt and cargo pants. "It's a fair point, but I don't exactly see the problem if you can get to him fast enough. After all, you said he makes you go all ragefest with a look."

Mako arched an eyebrow. "So, you're saying all we have to do to catch him is not look at him?"

Another shrug. "Maybe. If it fits." He looked around. "Anyway, uh…can you let me, ya know…get dressed?"

The detective blinked rapidly. "Oh. Right. Heh, sorry." He pulled the door closed with a soft bang when his head didn't make it far enough out of the frame.

Barry heard a muffled "ow" from the other side, and grinned at Korra when it finally shut. She just stared back with wide eyes and released a heavy breath, shaking her head.

"Window?" he whispered.

"Window."

Five minutes later, he was walking into the living room, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, only to stop short when he saw Mako and Korra talking in the kitchen. His brows furrowed as his eyes narrowed, noting her relaxed body language and the way she was leaning against the counter, Mako chuckling at something she'd said. The sound set his teeth on edge, but he forced on a smile as he approached the pair.

"Korra," he greeted. "This is a surprise."

The girl grinned up at him and pulled his head down to peck his lips as Mako awkwardly looked away. "Good surprise?"

His smile felt less fake. "The best." He curled an arm around her shoulders, turning to face his roommate. "So what brings you here?"

She looked over at the older man. "Mako, actually. I needed to ask him something." Korra poked Barry's chest at his crestfallen expression. "And I'm _always_ happy to see you."

"Mhm," he hummed softly, his free hand tightening into a fist as his eyes began to bore holes into Mako's head.

The detective gave him a weird look. "You okay, Bear?"

For some reason, the nickname irritated him today. Maybe he hadn't gotten up on the right side of the bed…or maybe it was because he hadn't had his triple espresso shot yet. Either way, he took a long split-second to take a breath and look away from Mako's face—which was beginning to look an awful lot like a heavy bag.

"Yeah," he finally answered, "just hungry." At Mako's concerned frown, he felt a spike of heat enter his chest, choking the breath from his lungs. He needed to get out of there, _now_. "Think I'm gonna go out for breakfast."

"Don't you mean _we_?" Korra asked. "And what are you talking about 'breakfast'?"

Barry gave her a look.

"Barry, it's almost two o'clock."

His eyes shot wide open as his mouth dropped. "What?!"

Korra winced at his volume.

He let out a long groan as he pulled away from her and grabbed his jacket. "I need to go."

"Why?"

Barry cast a glance in Mako's direction before pulling her off to the side and lowering his voice. "Oliver wanted to have another session. An hour ago."

She winced. "Well, on the bright side, I don't think he's gonna shoot you again."

The speedster just stared at her.

"Maybe you should wear armor."

He rolled his eyes and sighed hard, casting one more glance in Mako's direction, his upper lip twitching. "See you later."

Moments later, he was out the door.

…

Korra's brows furrowed as she stared at the apartment's exit, slowly turning her eyes toward Mako. "Did he really—"

"Yeah," he answered softly, a concerned frown on his face. Mako approached her slowly, arms crossed. "Something's up with him. He hasn't been himself the past few days. Been blowing me off on cases, forgetting the layout of the station…and he keeps dismissing something he was going to tell me two days ago. Says it can wait."

She frowned deeply and looked off to the side. "I don't know." She looked up at him. "But you're definitely right. Something's wrong, and we need to figure out what." Her eyes shifted back to the door. "I don't like seeing him like this."

He stood next to her, staring at the door. "You're telling me?" His head shook. "I'll talk to him later, see if I can get him to open up about it."

Korra's head shook. "If he's shutting you out, the best course would be to back off for now, give him some space. He's been dealing with a lot lately, finding out a few things about people he thought he could trust…" She frowned at the thought of Eddie. "Just give him time."

Mako gave her an uncertain look, but nodded slowly.

…

5 minutes later

Republic City outskirts

Oliver turned toward the source of a sudden wind current, bow held behind his back as his eyes narrowed at Barry's annoyed expression.

"Thinking of new ways to embarrass me?"

Surprised at the opener, he tried to defuse the situation. "I'm not trying to embarrass you, Barry—but you went after Bivolo last night, alone, and you lost him."

Barry snorted and shrugged. "So, what, you've never had a misstep?"

Oliver huffed. "Of _course_ I've had missteps." He sighed gently, calming himself. "I have been living this life for almost seven years now, encountering things that…you can't even fathom, and I am still _alive_. Not because superspeed kept me out of the ground, but because I realized that I needed to keep learning, keep training, keep getting stronger, and until you get that…" He took another deep breath, his chest tightening when a picture of that train wreck flashed through his vision. "Until you get that, Barry," he said softly, "you _will_ do more harm than good."

Barry just stared at him for a few seconds, his lips twisting into a sardonic smile as his head shook slowly. "I finally see it."

Oliver's eyebrows rose slightly.

He waved a finger at the archer. "You're a little bit jealous of me, aren't you?"

His brows knitted. _What?_

"Guy like you, handsome, rich, can have any girl he wants." Condescension dripped from his tone. "Jealousy's probably a new emotion for you, so you might be a little slow to get what it is you're feeling."

Oliver arched an eyebrow as his eyes narrowed slightly. "That's your theory?"

"Absolutely," Barry hissed. "So you can train, lift weights—" he waved at the building they were in, "—climb that stupid barn until your heart _explodes_ , but you'll never be as fast as I am." He got up in Oliver's face. "You will never be _what_ I am, and that's gotta hurt your rock-hard pride, _Ollie_." The name came out as a snarl.

Oliver just stared at him, a sardonic smirk on his face as his head shook slowly. "I told Felicity you didn't want my help."

"Yeah?" Barry snorted and smiled nastily as he started to walk away. "You're finally right about something."

A flash of gold later, and the Flash streaked away from his "partner." Oliver's expression fell completely as his brows knitted, and he leaned against the doorframe hard. One finger went to his ear as he tapped an earpiece.

"Felicity. Something's wrong with Barry."

"What do you mean?"

He looked up toward the dust cloud left in the speedster's wake. "Either he finally just snapped...or Bivolo's abilities affected him differently than we thought."

…

5 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

Asami took in Barry's scowl, his hard stride, and the way his knuckles were starting to whiten as he walked through the door.

"Dude, what happened?" Cisco asked. "Oliver shoot you again?"

Barry just sent a snarl in his direction, the engineer's mouth dropping as the speedster marched off toward the suit storage room. "Is the treadmill operable yet?"

Cisco stayed paralyzed for a second before shaking his head. "Uh…we don't know exactly. Eddie put in the finishing touches on the dedicated power source this morning, so…"

"Turn it on," he ordered sharply, climbing atop the treadmill.

The engineer stared at him for a few seconds. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Cisco—turn on the damn machine!"

A twinge of hurt crossed his features before he quietly muttered, "Sure, man." With a single gulp, he threw a series of switches, activating the treadmill and slowly ramping up its speed.

"What are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? Punch it!"

Pursing his lips, Cisco pushed the dial forward at a greater pace, his speed clocking seven hundred mph in seconds. The door closed between him and Barry as he ramped it up, more and more juice being diverted to the treadmill as the speedster kept pushing himself. A sonic boom sounded through the wall, his speed increasing by dangerous ratios as his teeth clenched and bared, most of his body little more than a blur, a lightning storm dancing off his back. Asami stared at the younger man openmouthed.

"Well," Cisco muttered glumly, "at least we know it works."

Asami laid a gentle hand on his shoulder as her eyebrows knitted. "Turn it off."

"What?"

"I said turn it off. Trust me."

Cisco gulped and hit the stop, Barry adjusting to the rapid deceleration rather raggedly. He nearly tripped on the dismount before speeding outside and shooting Cisco a dirty look. Asami gave Cisco a nod, then shifted her intense gaze to Barry.

"Don't blame him," she said firmly. "It was my call."

Ice-blue eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Her arms crossed. "Because something's wrong with you. You _never_ snap at Cisco like that, or shove your way into a room, or push yourself beyond your limits unless _absolutely_ necessary. I understand if you have something to vent, but this is just…"

"What? What, Asami? Hm?" He approached her, his fists clenched. "What are you gonna say? That I'm some—" he shrugged and sneered, "—unstable kid? Some danger to society?"

Her eyes widened as her breathing rate intensified and something entered her system that should never have been there where he was concerned. _You are like_ this _._

"Do you have any idea what I have to face out there, while you and Cisco and Caitlin sit on the sidelines, all cozy and warm and safe? What right do you have to judge me?!"

His face was inches from hers, her eyes stinging. _This can't be happening._

"Barry," she said softly, "please…calm down. That's not what I meant."

His stance relaxed, but only slightly. "Then what _did_ you mean?" he snarled.

Asami cautiously laid a hand on his arm, her expression pleading. "That you can't bottle up what's inside. You have to let it out, tell someone. And if Lin or Mako, or even Korra isn't the right person…I'm here for you." She leaned toward him when he looked away uncertainly, his expression pinched. "You know that, right?"

With what looked like a titanic effort, Barry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I know," he replied softly. "I'm sorry. It's just…with everything that's going on, the metahumans, Bivolo, Oliver…" He sighed hard. "It all gets to be too much sometimes."

Taking that as a good sign, Asami pulled him into a gentle embrace. "I know. I've lived through kidnappings, attempted murder, crashes, attacks by wild animals, and getting betrayed by my own father. So trust me, I know."

His arms curled around her torso tightly, almost crushingly, before he let go a few seconds later, smiling slightly. "I know. I'm sorry."

They pulled away a second later, Asami holding him at arm's length and looking into his eyes for a few seconds.

"I better get back to work. Wasted enough time already."

She smirked. "I'm pretty sure Lin called you in sick when you didn't show by noon."

He shrugged. "I dunno why. I've just been really wiped today."

Her raven eyebrows furrowed, and she gave him a pat on the arm before he sped out of the control center. Asami's smile instantly vanished as a deep frown replaced it, leaning with her hands braced against her desk as a long breath left her lungs.

…

3 hours later

Police HQ

Barry sat at his desk, typing furiously away at another case after an hour of dead ends with the Bivolo investigation.

"Barry."

The CSI scowled furiously. "I don't want to talk right now."

Eddie sighed and walked up next to him. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about yesterday."

He snorted as he looked down into his microscope. "Which part? Doubting my friends or doubting me?"

"Barry—"

He snapped toward the blonde man. "If you came here to make yourself feel better, then go, because now you can at least say you tried."

Eddie stared at him openmouthed.

Barry snarled. "Whatever you say now, it's useless to me. I _trusted_ you." He jabbed a finger into the scientist's chest. "You, who I thought would've understood what I'm trying to do and why better than _anyone_." He smiled sardonically. "Turns out you're the worst of them all." The CSI walked toward the exit of his lab, Eddie hot on his heels.

"Look, Bear, you're absolutely right, okay? You're right. I came in, with virtually no context, and when I saw you at your worst, I assumed that was the case all the time."

Barry wheeled on him, eyes narrowed. "My _worst_?"

Eddie gulped. "Barry—"

"Eddie, you may _think_ that you know me, because you took me to a few games as a kid, or taught me how to take a punch, but you _don't_. You haven't been a major part of my life for _years_."

"And whose fault is that?"

Barry scowled at him. "You have no right, after all that time, to come back here and just start acting like my father. Because you're not." He looked him up and down dubiously. "Not even sure you're a friend anymore."

Eddie stared at him openmouthed, shock and hurt written all over his features as Barry walked into the bullpen.

…

A double-knock on a wooden desk caught Mako's attention, Korra smiling down at him, though only slightly.

"Korra," he greeted, leaning back in his seat. "What's up?"

She shifted nervously, her expression hesitant. "I gotta ask you something…and it might sound kinda strange."

His brows furrowed and arms crossed. "Shoot."

Korra looked him dead in the eyes. "Have any other girls, besides me, shown…interest in Barry before?"

Mako's eyes widened and jaw dropped slightly. "Well…" He scratched his head for a few seconds, lost in thought as he stared at his desk, chin braced on his laced fingers. Finally, he looked back up at her. "Not really, no. Why do you ask?"

Her eyes closed as she sighed hard. "Because…I think I figured out what's been up with Barry lately. Two days ago, he told me that I always push him to be more, to be better. But I'm not sure that was a compliment as much as it was…"

Mako's head shook slightly. "What?"

She looked at him, pain in her eyes. "A fear."

"Huh?"

Korra shrugged. "Think about it. I am _literally_ his first girlfriend and, by your own admission, the only girl who's even looked in his _direction_ that way."

"Okay?"

"Don't you get it?"

He shrugged confusedly. "Not really."

She leaned in closer. "He's insecure. About us."

Mako's eyes went wide. "Oh. _Oh_ …wow. Okay." He nodded slowly. "That actually makes a lot of sense. I mean, first girlfriend he has, and she ends up being the _Avatar_? That's…wow, with someone like him, always eager to please…that's gotta be one hell of a pressure."

Korra's heart sunk. "I was afraid you'd say that." Her eyes squeezed shut as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I never wanted him to think that way, that he somehow had to earn his place in our relationship." A bitter chuckle left her lips. "Wanna know the irony of all this? That was _my_ fear, before we first got together. That he was the strong one, and I was just…dragging him down."

"But you know he'd never see you that way."

She smiled sadly. "Yeah. 'Cause that's just the kind of person he is." She frowned. "And he needs to realize that about me too." Her eyebrows rose expectantly. "Any ideas?"

Mako grinned. "I got a few, yeah."

…

Barry was breathing heavily, sparks flying through his bloodstream at an uncontrollable ratio. His fists were clenching and unclenching haphazardly, and everywhere he turned, he saw irritants, annoyances, doubters. Everyone whispering behind his back. His jaw clenched hard as he took a step toward the exit.

"Allen."

His eyes rolled as he wheeled toward the speaker. "Chief, I _really_ don't want to talk right now."

"I understand," she replied with a nod. "Eddie just told me about your little conversation a few minutes ago." Her brows furrowed. "Did you really have to go that far?"

He snarled, pacing and spearing his fingers through his hair. "I'm just so _sick_ of him acting like he has a say in what I do. I'm an adult, I make my _own_ damn decisions!"

Lin's warning glare sent any onlookers back to their desks. "Look, Barry, I know you're upset about losing Bivolo, but—"

"Wait," he interrupted sharply, wheeling on her. "Wait, you're just _like_ him, and Caitlin, and Oliver, and _everyone_ else my whole _life_ that didn't think I could get the job done!" His gaze drifted to the side, where his eyes narrowed at Mako and Korra leaving the station together, his arm around her shoulders.

Lin gently put a hand on his arm, eyes widening. "Barry, I need you to calm down. Why don't we take a ride to the airfield?"

His head snapped back to her. "I'm calm, okay?!" He got up in her face. "When I am not calm…trust me." He nodded to her, snarling. "You'll know."

Barry immediately turned for the exit, storming out the door, missing the horrified expression on Lin's face, and the fact that his reflection showed not blue eyes on him, but glowing red.

…

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

"Asami. I've gotta talk to you."

The woman turned toward Felicity. "Okay?"

The blonde stopped in front of her, lips pursed. "The Arrow says Barry's been acting strangely."

Asami arched an eyebrow. "You don't say? Trust me, I've noticed."

Caitlin gave them a look from her desk. "Strangely how?"

"He's been whammied."

The four whirled toward the door, where Lin was standing, a grim expression on her face.

"He was acting angry." Lin frowned at the floor, shaking her head. "It was _scary_." She looked up at Asami. "And his eyes—they _glowed_."

Caitlin's lips pursed. "It's possible that his body is fighting off the effect, so it's hitting him slower."

"When it comes to rage," Lin said, "that is _not_ a good thing. The longer you suppress your emotions—"

"The bigger the explosion," Felicity finished in a horrified whisper.

Asami frowned at the floor. "Considering what he can do…how do we even stop him?"

"We can't," said a new voice from the door. Eddie nodded to Lin. "Your botched attempt at capturing the Reverse-Flash _overwhelmingly_ proved that." Eddie sighed hard and looked toward Felicity. "Fortunately, Felicity knows someone who can." He smirked and nodded to her. "You better call back Oliver Queen."

The blonde's jaw dropped.

"Much as I hate to admit it, we're gonna need the Arrow's help."

"And someone needs to get into contact with Korra," Lin added. "Her spiritbending is the only thing that can clear his head. We're gonna need her if this is gonna stick."

"I'm on it," Asami said as the control center erupted into activity.

As everyone found their own tasks, Lin cast a long look in Eddie's direction, her eyes narrowing slightly before she turned away to help Cisco track Barry down.

…

Republic City

"So, your idea is to get a gift for him? What exactly?"

Mako smirked. "Something scientific. Something he can use on a daily basis…and carries emotional weight. Can you think of anything like that?"

Korra frowned in thought for a moment before perking up. "That microscope he has in his lab. How old is it?"

Mako thought for a second. "Dunno. Based on the budget cuts we've been forced to take, though, I'm pretty sure he's been jury-rigging it just to keep it running."

A broad smile blossomed on her face. "Well then. Any ideas where we could find one?"

"Maybe, though we'd have to—"

Mako's sentence was cut off by the sound of shattering glass. When Korra looked over at the driver side, he was gone. And all that remained was a single streak of golden lightning.

…

Mako felt the rush of wind past his face as the world around him became an indistinguishable blur. A second later, he was dumped unceremoniously, and quite painfully, on the ground. He rolled to a stop a few heartbeats after the initial impact, pushing himself onto all fours with a groan. When he turned to face his kidnapper, his entire being froze in shock, and his jaw dropped.

The Flash stood in front of him, scowling, most of his masked face in shadow. "We need to talk," he shouted in his unnaturally vibrating voice, his growling tone leaving no room for debate.

"Flash?" Mako breathed. "Is that really—"

"Is that so hard to believe?" he asked mockingly, his lips twisted into a sardonic smile.

With another groan, Mako pushed himself to his feet. "Considering that the last time we met, you saved my life, yeah, I'd say it's a bit difficult."

The Flash just stared at him.

"What's going _on_ with you, with _everyone_? It's like these days, half the people I know are deciding to have a complete psychological breakdown."

"Ever considered maybe _you're_ the one with the problem?" Flash snarled. "Like not knowing when to back off?!"

Mako blinked owlishly as he took a step back. "What?"

The speedster continued to advance on him, slowly, threateningly. "You think you can just come in and take whatever you want? After _years_?"

The detective's head shook in disbelief. "Listen…you're not feeling well." At the Flash's blank stare, he drew a step closer. "This isn't you, Flash." His amber eyes widened. "Oh spirits…you confronted Bivolo, didn't you?"

The Flash laughed coarsely, wagging his finger at Mako. "So, you too, huh? 'Cause everyone's always just gotta be all over my ass, right? Like I don't have to deal with enough crap on a daily basis."

"You don't want to do this," Mako insisted.

He snarled and dashed forward, the first blow sending Mako reeling, the second even stronger, sending him into a dumpster. "And how would _you_ know?!" Flash roared. "Because you 'work' with me?! Because I pulled your ass out of the fire a couple times?!" He hoisted him to his feet, shoving him against a wall. "You don't know me!" The speedster hooked him in the jaw, then tossed him to the side. "You never did."

"Flash," Mako hissed in pain. "Listen to me. Whatever happened to you, you need to fight it."

"No, the only thing I need to fight here is you." Flash hauled him upright by his neck, his left fist slamming into Mako's ribs repeatedly before tossing him into another brick wall. "Who the hell are you, huh?! You think you can just come along and take whatever you want?!" The speedster grabbed his jacket and held him against the wall. "You have no right, _no_ claim to her!" A left hook sent him flying down the alley. "Not anymore."

The detective spat bloody saliva as he forced his protesting limbs to work, managing to get into a rough sitting position to look up at his attacker. "What are you _talking_ about? I haven't even been around any—" Something struck his mind. "Any girls, except…" His eyes widened in horror as he looked up at the Flash's furious countenance. "Oh spirits," he whispered. "It can't be…"

The Flash's eyes flared with red energy as he snarled, cocking back his fist for another strike. The twang of a released bowstring reached his ears as he tensed up, and the next thing he knew, the Flash was being yanked off his feet by a cable wrapped around his arms and torso. Amber eyes flickered over to an adjacent alleyway, widening when they saw a familiar dark, green-hooded figure holding the other end.

The Arrow turned his head to face him. "Run," he said in a rough, gravelly tone.

And Mako obeyed, casting one last look at the man in red before rounding a corner and dropping out of sight.

…

Oliver faced the enraged speedster with a tight jaw and tense frame. _Barry, please come quietly._ He lowered his voice, trying to keep it as even and gentle as possible. "You need to calm…down."

Barry just snarled and grabbed the cable. "And you need to hold on!"

He braced just in time to avoid having his arms torn from their sockets, his body protesting as it was dragged two blocks down an alley, coming to a sudden stop when the Flash yanked in the opposite direction. When he caught sight of his friend's stance, a sigh left his throat, and his jaw tightened. _Hard way it is then._

…

Future Industries Airship

Caitlin and the rest stared worriedly at the view from the airship's telescope, the confrontation just barely visible from over ten miles away. From Lin's point of view, the ship couldn't move fast enough.

Cate frowned deeply. "I just hope Korra can turn Barry back before he kills Oliver."

To her right, Diggle snorted disdainfully. "Me? I'd be more worried about what Oliver might have to do to Barry."

Eddie gave him a dubious look. "Barry has superpowers. Oliver has a bow and arrow."

Digg smirked and faced him. "Do you have any idea how many people Oliver has _killed_ with that bow and arrow?"

"Recurve bow arrows can travel up to three hundred feet per second," Cisco chimed, "so like, two hundred miles an hour? Barry can run three _times_ that fast." His head cocked. "Technically four."

Diggle's eyes rolled. "Whatever. My money's on experience."

" _My_ money's on speed."

Felicity and Asami both shot them a horrified look, though only the former remarked on it. "Please tell me we're not _actually_ having this conversation right now."

…

Oliver rolled to a crouch, yanking a pair of arrows from his quiver as Barry advanced two steps. They were drawn back with the metallic grind of his bowstring, then released a second later. They flew past Barry into a nearby dumpster as his body turned to the side in the blink of an eye. He snapped back with a mocking smile on his face.

"You missed."

Oliver shook his head grimly. "No."

A split-second later, the arrows exploded, sending a yelling Barry flying ten feet forward onto his face. When he regained his footing, the speedster looked in several directions—every one except behind him. Another metallic twang split the air as an arrow imbedded itself in Barry's right shoulder. It took the speedster a few seconds to realize the tip was a needle.

"Two thousand milligrams of lab-grade tranquilizer," Oliver shouted at his back. "Should be hitting you any time now."

Snarling, Barry reached up as his legs started to buckle, yanking out the arrow and managing to regain his footing.

The Arrow stared in mute shock as he vibrated his entire body, a green mist flowing off it as the payload of his arrow was burned through in a matter of seconds. _Well._ His left hand tightened around his bow. _Damn._

The Flash turned for him, breathing heavily, and Oliver readied himself. When Barry charged him, he took a swing at his blurred form, but the speedster wasn't aiming for him, he was aiming for the flaming dumpster. The Flash sped around him in circles, the wind currents from his movement creating a fiery vortex around Oliver, the heat threatening to ignite his suit. He yanked an arrow from his back quiver, nocking it immediately and firing it at the top of a nearby high-rise. The arrow's shaft broke down into a high-tensile cable on the way up, and an automatic reeling system in the bow's frame pulled him into the air.

"Where are you going?!" Barry roared from the ground.

Oliver's gaze flickered down, only to track him heading toward and up the building he was climbing.

"We're not done!" he yelled from above.

Oliver saw the arrow in his hand, and felt himself drop a second later, his cable severed. As years of training and experience kicked in, he drew another arrow and fired it next to the first, managing to break his fall before hitting the ground. Breathing heavily as adrenaline crammed into his system, Oliver caught sight of golden lightning streaking past him to stop at the alley's exit.

"Is that all you got?" Barry mocked from a runner's stance.

The Arrow's upper lip twitched as he got to his feet and faced his opponent. _Kid gloves are off, Barry._ He tossed his bow from his left hand to his right as the Flash sped toward him in a head-on attack. The bow swung downward, missing Barry's head by inches as he dodged a series of strikes and shunts, none of them landing despite Oliver's best efforts. He spun clockwise, counterclockwise, the arms of his bow swinging with him as he made a horizontal swing for Barry's head. He followed it with a 360 roundhouse that Barry just managed to duck under.

A crouched bow strike was dodged as the Flash withdrew, then came back with a series of punches. Oliver managed to strike first, forcing him on the defensive as he alternated bow strikes with empty-handed punches. He spun 360 degrees clockwise, adding power to a downward swing that met empty air, then whirled in the other direction and struck right. Barry leaned away from the blow and ran behind Oliver by his left side. The Arrow kept his counterclockwise movement going with a right hook kick that kept Barry away. He landed in a crouch as the speedster stopped on his left side, lips pursing as he stayed still for a split-second, then swung left at his head.

As the Flash ducked under the strike, Oliver reversed his direction just as he was coming up. The hard frame of the bow slammed into Barry's jaw, staggering and shoving him back a few steps. A look of shock was written over his features, but it quickly turned to rage. Barry ran behind him faster than he could process, and second by second, one rapid blow after the next bombarded him from every side. He'd be walking away from this with no less than twenty-four new bruises, if not a few cracked ribs—which would _not_ make Felicity happy. Barry's left hook went somewhere that would _definitely_ make her unhappy, and Oliver felt something in his jaw move as his head snapped to the left, then came back for the Flash to even out the other side, the force of the blow knocking him back and off his feet.

Felicity's panicked voice entered his ear. "Oliver, get up."

He glanced up to see the approaching Future Industries airship, then shifted his gaze back to Barry as his right hand reached into his vest and activated the primary function of his remote. Two mechanical whirs sounded from Barry's back as high-speed arrows were shot toward him. He snapped around at the last second and caught both before they hit.

"Fool me once," Barry taunted, his back to Oliver.

Taking the opening, the Arrow reached down to his thigh quiver and pulled a flechette from its side, throwing it with pinpoint accuracy—straight into Barry's upper left thigh. He let out a series of pained yells as he collapsed to one knee, dropping the arrows while Oliver rose and took a few steps toward him, right hand holding his bruised ribs.

"Listen to me," Oliver breathed.

Barry yanked the flechette from his leg as he snarled at the archer.

"When I first came here…you told me that I could be a hero."

The Flash roared and closed the distance in a limping dash, his fist cracking against the side of Oliver's skull.

The archer staggered back a step, jaw tightening as he moved toward Barry again. "I believed you, believed _in_ you, told you as much."

Barry let out another furious yell as he upper-cutted him in the chin, his head snapping upward and brain feeling like a badly-abused piñata.

Still, he straightened up and stood his ground, breathing heavily. "I still believe in you, Barry."

From where Oliver was standing, it almost looked like his mind was starting to clear. But then his eyes glowed, and he scowled furiously, cocking back his right hand as he charged. Tightening his jaw, Oliver charged right back, aiming perhaps the most precise blow of his career—an open-handed palm strike to Barry's fist. His fingers closed around the appendage as the exhausted Flash stared at him, breathing hard. Oliver grimaced and brought his left hand into Barry's temple hard, spinning him to face away while holding his extended arm and pinning it behind his back.

"Now!" Oliver roared, his left hand around Barry's neck.

An instant later, a blue-clad figure leapt from one of the nearby rooftops, a gust of air slowing it down before it landed. A nearby water main burst open as its contents were bent and propelled toward Barry's struggling form. The liquid split into two ends as Korra swept her arms in arcing motions, curling around his body from below, each end spiraling in an opposing direction as Oliver released him and stepped away. The ends eventually met at the top in a complete arc, Barry's eyes flickering red until Korra's arms swept upward, and the entire pattern was glowing gold.

Her right fist met her left palm as she bowed slightly. "Go in peace," she said softly, opening her eyes to see Barry breathing heavily.

Oliver looked him over warily. "Barry?" he asked breathlessly. "You okay?"

The Flash took another couple of breaths, hands on his eyes, before turning toward his hooded friend. "Oh," he groaned, "this is gonna be a _special_ kinda hangover. Ugh…"

Oliver couldn't restrain a chuckle, or Korra a head-shaking grin, as he took the arm on Barry's bad leg's side and looped it over his shoulders, the Avatar taking his other side. They made for the alley's exit, in the airship's direction, as Barry's head shook slowly.

"Oliver," he started, "I'm so sorry."

The vigilante's head shook. "It's not your fault." He smirked, giving him a sideways look. "But we do still have your metahuman to take care of." He gave him a nod. "Anything left in the tank?"

Barry huffed a laugh, looking at him, then Korra. "Well, if not, there's three of us, right?"

Ollie grinned. "Right."

…

Next morning

Police HQ

"You think _this_ will stop me? I will make you tear each other to pieces. You will all die, screaming!"

"Blah, blah, blah, no prison can hold me, heard it all before." Cisco blew the caged Bivolo a goodbye kiss as he was locked away behind one-way glass. "Adios, Prism."

Caitlin gave him a sideways look. "I liked 'Rainbow Raider.'"

Every one of the six other heads present turned in her direction, Cisco shooting his friend a horrified look. "Okay, you don't get to pick the names."

"I dunno," Korra remarked, crossing her arms and looking toward Bivolo's raging form. "Seems like the right kind of juxtaposition for such a horrific experience."

Barry arched an eyebrow in her direction, a wry smirk playing over his features. "Look at you, using big words."

She huffed and slugged him in the shoulder as Oliver's gaze drifted over the row of specialized cells, from a solid platinum cage to a giant refrigerator.

"I have a prison like this," he remarked glibly, giving Barry a glance. "Mine's on a nearly-inhospitable island in the South Sea, but…this works too."

The five of Team Flash, plus Korra and Oliver, strode out into the mostly-cleared hallway, Felicity, Diggle, and Eddie waiting for them, the latter giving Barry a long look.

Sighing hard, the fastest man alive closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Look…you guys…I wish I could say that…everything I said over the last two days was just—" he waved toward the cells, "—Bivolo getting in my head. But the truth is…" His gaze drifted to Eddie. "I guess I held a lot more in than I thought. Stuff that…got buried and bottled up. What he did to me, getting whammied—" he shrugged, "—it just blew all that to the surface and sent it into flight." Barry sighed hard and bowed his head slightly. "I'm sorry."

Caitlin smiled widely. "We know. But you don't have to go through all that alone."

Barry smiled and nodded, gaze drifting to his childhood mentor. After a few seconds, Eddie's lips turned upward, and he nodded once.

"Thank you."

…

20 minutes later

RC Jitters

"One non-fat latte for Felicity and one coffee, black, for Oliver. I…made you a fresh pot, so…"

The billionaire smiled up at the rather star-struck waitress. "Thank you." He almost chuckled when Felicity frowned and grabbed his hand rather obtrusively, but restrained himself for her sake. Of course, when one of her piercing glares was directed toward him, the smile dropped, and he looked down sheepishly. "Sorry," he said quietly. "Old habits."

Felicity gave him a deadpan look, to which he replied with a grin. Before she could flay her boyfriend, the door to the coffee shop jingled open, and they turned to see Barry Allen walk through, smiling and waving in their direction. Temporarily distracted from her homicidal thoughts, Felicity turned back to Oliver and rose from her chair.

"I'm gonna get us some javas for the road."

He gave her a short nod, then turned toward Barry, who took her seat. "How are you feeling?"

The speedster shrugged and frowned. "I don't know. Not angry, I'll tell you that much. Frankly, I'm not sure _what_ I'm supposed to feel, after something like that." He looked up at Oliver. "Oliver, I know I already apologized to…everyone, but…I feel like a lot of what I said and did was directed largely at you."

Oliver smiled. "Like I said, it's not your fault."

"Maybe not the beatdown." They chuckled softly. "But everything else? I dunno. I feel like there are things about myself that…I've spent so long running from, so long suppressing and pushing aside for the sake of those around me. We're talkin' _years_ here…and at this point—"

"You don't know how to let 'em out," Oliver interrupted.

Barry smiled sadly. "Takes one to know one, I guess."

Ollie smiled and nodded. "Yeah." He looked over at Felicity, who was chatting animatedly with the waitress…Iris, was it? He nodded toward the blonde. "And it takes someone like that to help us learn." He turned back to Barry. "But in case there comes a time where…you can't rely on her, or, more likely, you just need a different person's perspective, you can always talk to _me_. I'm just a phone call away." He smirked wryly. "Or a twenty-minute run, depending on your mood."

Barry grinned and nodded slowly. "Thank you. And you were right, out in the field, both times. I still have…a _lot_ to learn."

Oliver's smile dropped. "There's one more thing, and you're not gonna like it."

Barry smirked. "Does it involve you shooting me in the back?"

"No," Oliver chuckled. His smile dropped off. "No, in the heart."

Barry's expression instantly sobered.

Oliver's lips pursed. "In the last…year and a half of being back, I've learned a lot, about myself, about the job…everything. And one thing that I've discovered..." he sighed hard, "is that secrets _always_ come out, one way or another. More often than not, they're revealed to the very people we want to keep them from, whether to protect them or ourselves. And, depending on _how_ that happens, it can have one or two effects on that relationship: it can make the bond stronger…or shatter it completely." He glanced behind Barry, toward the opening door. "And you need to be prepared for either possibility."

Barry turned in his seat to look toward the door, seeing a bruised-up Mako walking into line. By the look on his face, he hadn't seen him yet. He turned back to Oliver, frowning deeply. "I understand," he said quietly.

Oliver gave him a supportive smile and put a hand on his shoulder as Felicity returned with two capped foam mugs.

"This one's for you," she said, offering him one.

"Thanks," he replied, standing. "Remember, if you ever need me…"

Barry smiled up at him and nodded. "Thanks."

The odd pair strode out of Jitters hand-in-hand, their free ones holding their coffees. It took Barry a few seconds to notice just how disparate their heights really were, and he chuckled softly before turning his gaze to the side.

Where a pair of amber eyes met his.

His smile dropped off instantly, and he rose from his seat, striding toward Mako with soft, slow steps, hands in his pockets. His lips pursed as he came to a stop, the roommates facing each other as he thought of something to say. After a few brief moments of consideration, he decided to try for levity.

"So," he began softly, sighing out the next breath. "Am I homeless?"

Mako just blinked and stared at him, his expression unreadable. His amber eyes narrowed slightly. "That thing, in the alley last night. I knew it wasn't the Flash." He took a step closer to Barry. "I know it wasn't you." A muscle in his jaw twitched. "But…did I _really_ need to find out that the two were one in the same—that way?"

Barry sighed hard, fingers weaving through his hair.

"I can understand why you kept it from me at first," Mako admitted. "Considering how the president reacted to knowledge of your existence, I'd say some caution was fully justified. But later?"

The CSI nodded slowly, biting down on his lower lip. "I _should've_ told you. I almost did, two days ago, right before—" he waved vaguely, "—Bivolo and all that crap went down."

"In the lab," Mako concluded softly.

Barry nodded.

His eyes narrowed again. "And yet when I asked you about it later, you waved it off, said it wasn't important, that it could wait."

"And I was wrong," Barry replied softly. His expression turned pleading. "I am… _so_ sorry, for _everything_."

Mako nodded slowly. "I know." He gulped hard. "But the fact is, I can't wrap my head around why it took you so long to even think about telling me. I get why, in the beginning, but after? After the Reverse-Flash and the task force, after I went out of my _way_ to back you up, both as you _and_ the Flash…" The firebender winced and gulped again. "I just don't understand it," he admitted quietly.

Barry looked down and away. "If it helps any…neither can I."

Mako stayed silent a while, just looking out the window. His head shook after a while. "I need…time, to wrap my head around all this. Time and space."

The speedster nodded, gulping.

Mako looked back to him. "So to answer your question…yeah, you're homeless."

Barry's jaw dropped slightly.

"But I get the feeling you won't be for long."

The pair just stared at each other for a long minute before Mako started to turn for the door.

"Goodbye, Barry."

He was out the door a second later, coffee in hand.

The speedster just stood there, blankly staring at the door as his heart sunk to the ground and tears pricked at his eyes. The entrance jingled open some time later, and he looked up to see an extremely welcome sight walk through. Her arms were around him in seconds, and his around her, each embracing the other tightly as his fingers curled in her hair.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

He shook his head against hers. "Don't be. This is on me." He sniffled, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand as they pulled apart. He cleared his throat. "But I will have to look for another place to stay, at least for a few days, until all this…cools down."

Korra smiled and nodded. "I've run into this situation before. Trust me, we'll figure it out." She laced her fingers with his. "Together."

He frowned. "Korra, about last night—"

She put a finger against his lips. "Yes. About last night. I was…thinking of getting you something, as a token of our relationship. Something that would always symbolize our bond."

Barry shrugged. "But I shouldn't _need_ it. It was…stupid of me to think that you would ever…" His voice trailed off.

Her head shook. "No, it's not. Every person has fears when it comes to relationships, and yours…yours are born of pain and loss that I can't even imagine. For the last seven years, you grew up with a constant nagging feeling of insecurity, like everything you love could be taken away at any moment."

He winced and looked away.

"It's only natural for that to come back with a vengeance in something like this, a relationship you've never experienced before. Uncertainty breeds fear in all of us." She put a hand on his cheek, turning his gaze back to hers. "Even heroes."

Barry grimaced and took a long breath, his eyes welling up and voice cracking. "Well, today, I don't feel like much of a hero," he whispered.

Korra looped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes. "You're _my_ hero, Barry." She buried her face in his neck, gently pressing her lips to his skin, then raising them to his ear as she spoke tenderly. "And you're _enough_. You always were." Her arms tightened around him with a feel of near-desperation. "Please don't ever forget that."

Barry gulped hard and nodded into her hair, pressing his lips to her temple.

She pulled away and smiled up at him. "Now, can we go home?"

He huffed a bitter chuckle. "Home? I don't even know where that _is_ now."

Korra playfully smacked the side of his head. "With your family, dummy."

He arched an eyebrow, a small grin coming to his face. "Oh, so two seconds ago, you said I was enough, but I'm a dummy now? I see how it is."

"Mhm. But you're _my_ dummy," she whispered possessively, pulling his lips against hers hard as he melted into the kiss. They pulled away a second or two later. "And don't ever forget it."

Barry grinned at her as he put an arm around her shoulders, tucking her against his side as they walked out the door. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

AN: And that is it for the Flash vs. Arrow. Hope you all enjoyed this fun little arc and are looking forward to more coming soon. I am…unsure where to take the next chapter, where villains are concerned. Just know it has to be a bit of filler before the next main story arc. Was thinking either Plastique or the Mist. Let me know what you guys think.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash vs. Arrow - Barry Gets Whammied: 0:44-1:59—meeting with Oliver/"finally right about something", 1:59-end—spat with Eddie/glowing eyes; The Flash vs. Arrow: start-0:54—Mako beatdown to Arrow's intervention, 0:54-3:52—The Flash vs. Arrow/"I still believe in you", 3:52-end: spiritbending/"three of us"


	23. Limboed

Limboed (adj.): slang term denoting having been forced into a state of uncertainty, in one aspect or another; to be in limbo.

2 weeks later

Sato Estate, Republic City

10 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Are you ever gonna get up after eight?"

Barry arched an eyebrow at a half-amused, half-exasperated Asami, the spoon in his hand frozen halfway to his mouth. He let it drop into a bowl and leaned back before answering. "What do you not get about 'fastest man alive'? I can't even stay _still_ that long, much less asleep."

The tycoon just rolled her eyes and shook her head as she dug into her breakfast, periodically lifting a forkful to her mouth as she perused a stack of financial documents.

Barry lifted an eyebrow at her. "Are you ever not gonna bring work to the table?"

She shot him a look. "Well, excuse me, but at the end of the day, _someone_ has to make sure Future Industries has the capital to bankroll all your expensive tech."

He put a hand on the stack, pushing it out of her grip. "Then let it be at the _end_ of the day. C'mon, sis, we're eating."

Asami blinked at him owlishly, then looked down into her bowl and sighed in resignation. "You're right. As usual. I just...you know me, I get caught up in my work, and lose track of time, and..."

Barry nodded. "I know. S'why you got me to pull you back."

The older woman smiled and nodded slightly, giving his arm an affectionate pat before focusing almost entirely on her meal. "So, last week—how did your visit with Oliver go?"

He smirked. "You mean my visit and Cisco and Caitlin's unauthorized vacation days?"

Asami snorted. "Maybe _officially_ unauthorized, but I couldn't very well tell my investors that two of my finest R &D specialists were going to Ba Sing Se to visit the Arrow, now could I?"

Barry chuckled. "Guess not." His smile faded slowly. "So...any word from Mako?"

She gave him a sympathetic look. "Not about you, no."

He shrugged. "No, I mean, about _anything_. I can only really speak for myself, but by all indications, he's not even talking to Korra or Chief." He frowned deeply. "I knew he'd taken it badly, but this...this just seems way out of the realm of normal, even for him."

"Barry...what's normal for us anymore? Really?"

The speedster snorted with a nod, leaning back in his seat as a concentrated frown creased his features. They remained in silence for a long minute before Asami's pocket beeped, as did Barry's just seconds later. Giving each other a look, they put their earpieces on in tandem.

"We're here," Asami answered.

"Hey you guys," Cisco started, a slight hitch in his breath, "we got a bit of a problem."

Barry and Asami glanced at each other before the latter answered. "Meaning?"

"It's Caitlin. She hasn't shown up for work yet."

"Could just be running late," Barry suggested. "It _is_ rather early in the morning."

"No, you don't understand, she's _never_ late, not once. It's...kinda stupid actually, the way she always has to stick to a schedule, has to know everything that's gonna happen before it—"

"Cisco," Asami cut in. "Get to the point."

The engineer took a deep breath. "When we got back from Ba Sing Se a few days ago, she was really pensive, really quiet. Had her head buried in her thoughts the whole way back, barely said a word to either of us. Then yesterday, I caught her fiddling with a spirit energy battery, one of the disposable ones Eddie dropped off last week. She was hooking it up to what looked like some kind of compass. When I asked her about it, she just sputtered some random excuse and walked away. I thought it was an experiment or something, to test the capacity of the spirit energy, so I didn't bring it up."

"What's changed?" Barry asked.

"Just a few minutes ago, when I was starting to wonder about Caitlin, I ran across a folder she had next to that compass, and I started leafing through. I'll spare you the details, but it was basically a summary of every theory about spirit-human bonding on a long-term basis."

"Like the Avatar?" Asami suggested.

"Or Bivolo," Barry added.

"Right," Cisco confirmed. "Guys...there was an entry about Ronnie in there."

Both their eyes widened.

"Caitlin's convinced he's a hybrid."

"Which means that 'compass' is something she jury-rigged to pick up traces of spirit energy," Asami said.

"In the hopes of finding Ronnie," Barry concluded, prompting a nod from her.

"Exactly," Cisco confirmed. "I don't know what's going on with him, boss, but Ronnie...he's _different_ now, and though he definitely recognized Caitlin when he saved Barry, I...I'm scared for her."

"I understand," Asami said soothingly. "We'll find them."

"How?"

The tycoon pursed her lips, biting down on the lower one in concentration. "Cisco, do you still have that folder?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you got a good enough look at that device to be able to replicate it?"

Silence came from the other end before they heard a smile in Cisco's voice. "Yeah...I think so."

"Then get to work. We'll be right there." Asami stood and grabbed her jacket from the back of her seat, heading for the door as Barry's body blurred and he finished his breakfast in seconds before joining her.

"We gotta find a way to contact Korra," he said. "All this...spirit hybrid stuff..." His head shook. "It's beyond me, and you too, I think."

Asami nodded slowly. "And since she's kinda the first hybrid..."

Barry smirked and gave her a sharp nod. "I'll get her."

"See you at the airfield."

...

Republic City, Residential District

A pair of amber eyes perused a large white sheet, several dozen crinkled, half-crumpled, or otherwise well-used papers tacked onto it, many of them connected by strings. _Seven years of absence, not even a hint._ His right index traced a red string to newspaper clippings about the night of Harmonic Convergence. _One year later,_ after _the Flash appears, he returns._ The string traced to Linda Park's article protesting Raiko's task force. _Tries to frame the Flash, play off people's fears of the unknown._

His eyes narrowed. _He's_ fixated _on the Flash, for some reason, even attacked him, yet since that night, we haven't even gotten a glimpse of the Reverse-Flash._ He looked over to an article about the Weather Wizards. _Just his creations._ Mako put a hand on his chin, eyebrows furrowed, frowning in concentration. _Something's just not adding up. The attacks, appearances of metahumans, challenges to the Flash...they're not appearing at a frequency high enough to tire him, or weaken him in the slightest._

His head cocked. _On the contrary...every single incident where he's had to intervene, the Flash has had to step up his game, and he has, every time. The pattern is too clear for the Reverse-Flash to not have noticed, especially with how brilliant he has to be to have accomplished all this. So why isn't he doing anything to stop it? To stop_ him _?_ He looked over at a photograph of the day the Flash made his first appearance, of the golden wall along the coastline that defeated a tidal wave. _It's like he_ wants _Barry to get faster._

Mako blinked hard. _Barry...the Flash..._ He sighed hard, still unable to fully wrap his head around that fact, even after two weeks of time and space. The speedster had taken every one of his last words to heart, moving his things out of their apartment before Mako even got back home, leaving his room completely bare and cold. It had taken about two days for the emptiness to drive the firebender up the wall, hence why a makeshift crime board was currently sitting where Barry's wardrobe had once been.

They'd barely seen each other since then, whether by accident or design, probably the latter, since Lin had assigned a different CSI to each of Mako's more recent cases. The caseload itself had stagnated since the Bivolo incident, and he couldn't help but think it the calm before the storm. The pit that had grown in his stomach since discovering Barry's identity had only increased within the last week, when he began to find some startling occurrences. Just after Barry moved out, the detective had walked into his lab when he was sure he was gone and found the board under the board: his parents' case, and everything therein.

Photographs and meticulous notes were taken to catalogue it all, and since then, he had added his own findings to the case, most of them surrounding Harmonic Convergence and how everything seemed to revolve around that one night. Barry becoming the Flash. Tony Woodward and over a dozen other criminals or malcontents disappearing not long after. It was like the Reverse-Flash had known exactly when Harmonic Convergence would occur, and took steps to maximize the effects it would have on Barry and his city.

With this realization came a slew of other side investigations, most on his off time, the mystery of it all maddening to his detective curiosity, and the truth behind it far more frightening than he had initially expected. He knew who Barry was from the start, that much was evident, and with everything the Reverse-Flash had manipulated in the younger man's life recently, he couldn't help but wonder what else the villainous speedster had had a hand in. A small groan left his lips as his thumbs rubbed his tired eyes.

Suddenly, a series of knocks on the door grabbed his attention, and he quickly covered the board, closing the door behind him when he walked to the entrance. When he turned the knob and pulled, an involuntary sigh left his lips.

"What do you want, Korra?"

The Avatar glared at him with crossed arms. "We need to talk."

With a resigned sigh, he motioned her inside, closing the door behind her. "What about?"

She turned on him. "What do you _think_?"

Mako winced at her tone. "Korra—"

"You _know_ how much he regrets... _everything_ that's happened lately, especially between you two. He wants to rebuild your relationship, rebuild that trust—"

"Then why hasn't he tried to tell me so himself?" Mako interrupted, his temper short enough with the exhaustion weighing on his system. "Why did he have to send you?"

Korra blinked and took a step back, snorting in offense. "He didn't. Doesn't even know I'm here." She sighed hard, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "Look, Mako...one of the first things he ever told me, when we first met, was that he was afraid people would find out what he could do."

"Why?"

"Mistrust? Rejection? Experimentation? Fear? Hatred? Take your pick. The real question is: why _shouldn't_ he have been afraid? Considering how Raiko responded to even the hint of a hostile speedster, with barely a fringe of a straw to grasp, can you blame him for being so careful with his identity?"

Mako huffed in disbelief. "But I'm his _best friend_."

"Yes," she replied sharply, "yes you are." She took a step toward him. "And for the last two weeks, you've made it a point to not only ignore him, but actively avoid his presence. You don't even _work_ together anymore, can't even hold a professional relationship."

The detective gaped at her.

"So tell me, Mako..." Korra leaned in closer, "exactly which part of his fear was unmerited?"

He stared at her for a few seconds, feeling all anger and fury drain from his system as sheer exhaustion took over. Mako sighed hard as he slumped onto a nearby couch, one arm draped over the back as the other dangled off the side. "You're right," he said softly. "You're absolutely right. His lie...his secret may have driven a wedge between us, but I'm the one widening the gap."

Korra put her hands on her hips. "So what are you gonna do about it?"

Mako frowned and stared at the floor for a few seconds. "For now? Nothing. What's been done needs to be put right...but I can't just come to the table empty-handed."

The Avatar blinked hard and shook her head in confusion. "What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I need to get back to work," he said firmly, rising and walking toward the entrance. He turned toward Korra as he held the door open for her. "Thank you for stopping by."

She gave him a dubious look, but nodded slowly as she left the apartment. The moment the door shut behind her, Mako returned to Barry's room and unveiled the crime board, sitting on the bed and staring at it for a long time.

...

30 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

Barry arrived in a huff and a burst of wind and lightning, sending a few loose, unimportant papers flying in various directions. Asami looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. He just shook his head.

The CEO pursed her lips. "We'll just have to get started without her." She turned toward Cisco. "Cisco, is it ready yet?"

The engineer bit down on his lower lip for a few seconds, focusing hard. "I...think...so." He set down a soldering iron as his finger hovered over the power switch of their new "spirit compass," as he'd dubbed it. "And now for the moment of truth." Cisco flicked the switch on, causing a few errant sparks, but after it stabilized, the needle on the machine began swirling in various different directions, settling on one after about a minute.

Asami smirked. "Bingo. Let's get moving."

"Should we take the jeep or the airship?" Cisco asked.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Airship? In the middle of the day? Not very subtle, Cisco."

...

2 minutes later

"Yeah," Cisco intoned sarcastically, "this is a _lot_ more subtle."

Barry restrained open laughter, a small snicker escaping as he took in Asami's annoyed expression and the gigantic _tank_ of a car currently facing them. Apparently, she'd taken their lack of armored transportation to heart, and decided to upgrade one of her company's off-roader designs with double-reinforced platinum armor when nobody was looking.

"Sure, boss," Cisco continued. "Nobody'll _ever_ notice us in _this_ thing."

Asami rolled her eyes and sighed. "Just get in the car."

"Does that even...classify as a car?"

"Cisco," she hissed warningly.

He threw his hands up and started walking. "I'm goin', I'm goin'."

Letting out a small snicker, Barry took the back seat, putting the duffle bag containing his suit next to him. He looked up and furrowed his eyebrows when he spotted something off. "This thing has a sunroof?"

Asami grinned and chuckled with a nod. "Just hit the switch next to the panel."

He did, and a plate of armor slid back, letting in a decent amount of wind and sun. And one flying Avatar a second or two later. Barry nearly leapt clear out of his seat when his girlfriend landed next to him, her airbending staff retracted and held at her side. She grinned and laughed at his expense.

"You're too easy," she chuckled, hugging Barry's shoulders when he turned away and crossed his arms. Korra planted a wet kiss on his cheek, causing a heavy blush to crawl up his face. "You're cute when you're flustered."

Cisco cleared his throat loudly, grabbing their attention when he lifted the large compass into their view. "We got a hit, guys. West side of town, near a sewer outflow."

"Sewer?" Barry asked.

"What about it?" Korra queried.

He shrugged. "Nothing. Just seems like a weird place for someone who uses fire to hang out."

"It _is_ underground and out of sight," Asami remarked. "Sewers are a great place to use if you never want to be found, and Ronnie made it abundantly clear how he feels about being seen."

"I just hope we can get to him before Caitlin does."

"Why?" Cisco asked dubiously.

Barry frowned deeply. "I don't know. Last time we met—which was also the first time we met, just from a glance, he looked...unstable. And not just physically. I'm just afraid he'll do something to her, without even meaning to."

Korra's head shook. "I met him before he intervened that night, and one thing was abundantly clear: he loves Caitlin, couldn't stand to see anything happen to her. Far as I know, it's the only reason he fought the Reverse-Flash."

Barry's lips pursed. "I'll take your word for it, but I still can't get rid of the pit in my gut. Something just doesn't feel right." He looked over at her. "Speaking of, where were you earlier? I checked all the usual places, and...you weren't there, at any of 'em."

Korra blinked hard. "Oh. I was...visiting a friend."

He arched an eyebrow. "A secret kind of friend?"

She shrugged. "For now." The Avatar smirked and looked over at him. "Why? Jealous?"

His eyes narrowed. "Maybe."

Her arms looped around his chest as her face pressed into his neck. "Don't be. It was a...business call."

"Why do you sound hesitant about that?"

"It was...a weird kind of business. I don't want to talk about it."

He gave her a strange look, but stayed silent, turning his eyes back to the road.

"How's your ice bending?" Asami asked suddenly.

Korra arched an eyebrow at her. "Fine, last I checked. Why?"

Her lips pursed. "'Cause we might need it if things get too hot, and I don't just mean with Ronnie."

"You think Caitlin might intervene if we show up?"

"She's lonely, in pain, thought she'd never see him again." Asami's head shook slowly. "Cate's not thinking straight. I wouldn't put it past her to snap if it all gets to be too much."

Korra nodded slowly.

"We're coming up on it now," Cisco said, the car pulling to a stop just ten feet away from a large outflow pipe.

The four stood just above it, Barry huffing out a breath as he donned his suit. "Well, no one said being a hero was glamorous."

"Barry," Asami intoned, " _everyone_ says being a hero is glamorous." She tied her hair back into a ponytail before leaping into the opening.

"Um," Cisco stuttered, "w-what am I gonna do? Not exactly the strongest swimmer here."

Barry picked him up. "S'what I'm here for."

He nodded to Korra, who leapt into the hole and surfed inside, the speedster following behind as he ran atop the current to a dry spot, where Asami and Korra were waiting for him. Barry set Cisco down, at which point the engineer brandished the compass and held it up to a nearby maintenance light.

"Got a trail," he said quietly, walking in the direction of the compass.

The path of the machine carried them through a maze of twists and turns, ascent and descent across several levels of the sewer system. Cisco kept walking forward once they reached a location where the trail continued to point in one direction, jumping a little when he felt a hand yank him back.

"What are—" He took one look down, in front of his feet, and paled when he saw a yawning black pit. "Oh."

"Yeah," Barry replied, biting down on his lower lip. "How do you feel about running on a wall?"

Cisco opened his mouth, but was cut off by the low rumbles of shifting concrete. The two boys looked to see a concrete bridge being assembled from the walls, Korra dusting off her hands once it was done. Without a word, they crossed the hastily-assembled bridge, the pit in Barry's gut increasing in intensity the further they went. They reached a sealed door, the wheel-lock holding it in place until Barry took hold and vibrated his hands to loosen the rusted hinge, then spun it open.

He and the Avatar formed up on the door, the latter levitating a rock above her right hand as her other one pushed against the door. It swung open with a loud creak, four pairs of eyes peering into the room beyond to see a massive, high-vaulted cylindrical mains junction, pipes going in and out of the walls and ten-story ceiling, dim maintenance lights scattered all along the concrete walls. They all stepped inside, looking around at their new surroundings, until Cisco lifted the compass into his view. The needle was spinning in every possible direction haphazardly.

"Guys," he intoned nervously. "I think we found him."

"I found you first," a familiar gravelly voice hissed.

The roar of ignited flames was heard from above, Korra rushing between the group and the inferno as she held out both palms, the fire scattering around them in a spherical pattern. Barry ran into action immediately, streaking toward a nearby wall to ascend three stories and get a better look at their attacker. His jaw tightened when he saw the enflamed head and hands of Ronnie Raymond, the man himself hovering some eight stories above ground. The hybrid spotted him and snarled before throwing a gout of flame in his direction. The Flash dodged around its impact point, zigzagging across the wall as Ronnie took shot after shot.

"Mr. Raymond, stop! We're here to help!"

Ronnie just yelled and cast several arcs of flame over Barry's path. The Flash narrowly avoided being singed, sprinting for the ceiling and performing a lightning-fast calculation before leaping off. He tackled Ronnie mid-air, the pair grappling as the firebender snarled and flew in several directions haphazardly. Barry felt the wind knocked out of him when his back was slammed into a concrete wall, his arms stubbornly staying locked around Ronnie's torso despite the increasing heat radiating off his body.

 _This thing was built to handle it,_ he thought, looking down at Korra. _Come on,_ do _something! I can't keep this up forever._

As if in answer to his thoughts, Korra earthbent a series of horizontal pillars from the walls, her metal cables latching onto two opposing ones as she leaned back, then snapped the cables, slingshotting herself toward the pair. Barry pushed off of Ronnie, sending the burning man into Korra's flight path as he ran down a wall on impact. The moment the Avatar was in range, one cable was wrapped around Ronnie's shoulders while the other was anchored to the Flash's outstretched hand.

The speedster dragged him toward the ground at superspeed, the firebender struggling for every inch and managing to yank Barry off the wall when he emitted a sudden burst of upward thrust. A flame blast flowed around Korra as she barely managed to deflect it, Ronnie tackling her into a wall, then breaking off toward a falling Barry. He grabbed him just before he hit the ground, then dumped him and landed just ten feet away, approaching with threatening steps.

"I _told_ you not to look for me!" he yelled, his hands flaring with heat.

"Ronnie!" Asami shouted as she and Cisco ran over. "We just want to help!"

"You can't!" he roared back, breathing heavily. "And now you brought _her_ into this!"

Asami exchanged a look with Barry, then looked back to Ronnie. "What are you talking about?"

Ronnie pressed his hands to his head as he groaned, as if to hold back a headache. "Caitlin," he ground out. "You involved Caitlin."

"Dude," Cisco interrupted, "she came here on her own. _We_ were trying to _stop_ her."

"Well you did one hell of a job," he laughed sarcastically, turning away and lowering his voice. "Now he has her," he said in a near-whisper.

Barry's blood ran cold as Korra returned to ground level. "Who does?" he asked shakily. "Ronnie, who took Cate?"

The white-eyed man turned to face him. "I'm...not Ronnie. And the man who has her..." he held up his hands, "is the same man that did _this_."

Barry's jaw dropped.

"The man in yellow."

Asami approached him slowly. "Then let us help. We want to stop him and get Cate back every bit as much as you. Please..." She cautiously laid a hand on his arm. "Please let us help."

He snarled at her, the flames dying down in seconds, though his eyes were still white. "Fine."

...

1 hour later

Future Industries Airfield

Cisco stared at his old friend, now clean-cut with short hair, through two layers of one-way glass, a narrow-eyed expression on his face. "Well _that's_ not creepy at all."

Asami let out a long-suffering sigh, equally perturbed at the young man's completely changed visage. He looked exactly the same, and yet something about his features was so off, he seemed like a completely different person. An involuntary shudder passed through her frame as she tore her eyes away from Ronnie and back to a police transcript.

"Is anyone gonna talk about the camelephant in the room?"

The four present turned toward the new arrival, one Edward Thorne, who was staring at the "dead" man with an intensely confused expression.

"Or, is anyone gonna talk _to_ the camelephant in the room? Because last I heard, _he_ was dead."

Barry grimaced. "Look, Eddie...uh...there's some stuff you don't know."

The scientist crossed his arms and gave the younger man a sarcastic look that said, "Really?"

"The night the Reverse-Flash was last seen, we learned Ronnie was still alive somehow, and that his bending was now...at _least_ ten times more powerful than before. He intervened, saved my life." The speedster turned toward the one-way glass. "Come to find out he's not even Ronnie anymore."

Eddie's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Asami sighed and turned toward the researcher. "He means that Ronnie claims he's not Ronnie."

"Well, who _else_ could he be?" Eddie glanced around the control room. "And where's Caitlin?"

All present looked at the ground.

"He took her," Cisco said finally, voice fragile. "The Reverse-Flash. He must've found her on Ronnie's trail and..." The engineer shivered as his voice cracked.

Eddie frowned, glancing around, his eyes eventually focusing on Ronnie. "Do you have...any idea where she could be?"

Barry turned toward the firebender. "We were hoping _he_ could tell us, but he hasn't said a word since he arrived."

The scientist's eyes narrowed slightly. "Let me take a crack at him."

Asami gave him an arched eyebrow. "No offense, Professor, but...we all know him, Cisco and me especially. What makes you think—"

"Except you _don't_ know him," Eddie interrupted. "You think you do, because he looks like a friend you once had, but that man's no longer in the house, if you get my meaning. Maybe...all he needs is someone who can look at him and speak to him objectively." He leaned over Ronnie's open file, staring at an image of his fully ignited state. "And at the very least, we need to figure out exactly what happened to him, because that kind of firebending—it's unnatural."

"Caitlin had a theory about that," Cisco explained, pulling out one of Caitlin's folders. "She fed it to Felicity, who then took it to Ba Sing Se University's libraries, and, after a bit of study, they came to a single conclusion: he's a hybrid."

Eddie's brows shot upward. "Meaning?"

"Spirit and human," Korra answered. "Like me."

"And Bivolo," Barry added glumly.

His jaw dropped slightly. "That...actually makes a lot more sense. Korra, you're bonded with one of the most powerful spirits in existence, so you can control all four elements. Bivolo was bonded with a dark spirit, so he used that corruption to influence the emotions of others."

"Which means that whatever Ronnie's bonded with enabled him to increase his firebending abilities by an exponential degree," Asami concluded.

Cisco's brows furrowed. "One thing doesn't make sense, though. When he fought the Reverse-Flash, he recognized Caitlin, I'm sure of it. And when he told us she was kidnapped, it was like...like how Ronnie would've responded."

"So, maybe he's still in there, just not the one holding the wheel?" Korra suggested.

Eddie's head shook as he waved dismissively. "All of this is speculation until we can either get him—them, whatever, to talk, or find a way of thoroughly analyzing his physiology." He spotted a spare doctor's bag nearby and grabbed it, heading for the door to Ronnie's room. "Either way, I'm going in. Alone."

Barry's lips pursed, worry niggling at him, but he eventually nodded, a speaker in the control room transmitting their every interaction.

...

Eddie projected his best winning smile as he stepped into the room, noting the younger man's arched eyebrow and the slightly snobbish smirk making its way to his face.

"Hi there," he greeted warmly. "My name is Edward Thorne. I'm a doctor...of sorts. Since uh...Doctor Snow isn't with us at the moment, I've volunteered to perform a physical examination on you." He noted the way Ronnie's upper lip twitched at the mention of Caitlin as he unpacked some of his bag's contents. "You uh...you say you're not Mr. Raymond."

The man smiled rather sheepishly. "I uh...may have overplayed that a little, earlier. _I_ am not Ronnie, but...Ronnie is me. Or, rather...half of me. Half of _us_ , really."

Eddie's eyebrows shot up. "U-Us? Mind explaining that?"

He turned toward the mirrored glass. "I assume you're all listening in?"

"They are," Eddie assured him blandly.

The dark-haired firebender let out a long sigh. "My name...is Martin, and I'm not of this world. Where I come from...I'm...kind of considered a freak."

"How so?" Eddie asked, checking his breathing and pulse.

A smile twitched his lips. "I was actually curious about the human world, about... _all_ worlds."

That halted Eddie in his tracks. "What do you mean 'all'?"

"Martin" gave him a half-amused look. "You mean to say that for all your supposed scientific advancements that you've never heard of the multiverse?"

The scientist gave him a blank look.

For the first time since he'd been discovered, Martin laughed outright, for about ten seconds, before recovering his composure. "Oh...that's just rich."

"Glad to be of some amusement," Eddie drawled annoyedly.

"I apologize," Martin chuckled. "It's just not often I get to present my theories to, well...anyone. Anyone who hasn't heard them before, that is."

"Please, enlighten me."

Martin leaned toward him so Eddie could check his temperature. "Since I can remember, which is...a lot longer than one or even three of your lifetimes, we spirits have known that there are...more than just two parallel worlds, connected by spirit portals. The number has always been in question, but not the existence. My theories, and my research, limited as it was, suggested that there could be...innumerable worlds. You understand what I'm saying? Infinite universes, infinite Earths, separated by barriers of time, space, and a whole lot of other stuff I didn't even get to scratch the surface of."

"Okay," came Barry's voice through the rapidly opening door as the rest filed in. "You're gonna have to explain that."

Martin looked positively glowing at the CSI's poorly veiled excitement and interest, but smiled sadly. "I would...but I'm not sure we have the time. If our memories of the Reverse-Flash are anywhere near the realm of reality, Dr. Snow is in terrible danger."

"Earlier, you said he created you, this...hybrid," Asami stated. "How?"

Martin's left brow twitched. "I...may have been a little misleading when I said that. Technically, Harmonic Convergence merged Ronald and myself." His expression darkened. " _He_ made sure we _stayed_ merged."

"How?" Korra asked. "The only successful instance of a permanent spirit-human fusion recorded before you...was me. The Avatar. All others...they inevitably ended with the human host's death."

Martin put his head in his hands, rubbing his closed eyelids with a heavy sigh. "This is where my memories get muddled. I don't actually...remember most of what happened after that night."

"What about the night itself?" Eddie asked. "Do you remember how you two got merged in the first place?"

The hybrid cringed, as if even recalling the memories pained him physically. "I...don't. Not fully. I get...snippets here and there, of his end. An airship, bright lights...an explosion. And..." His white eyes snapped wide open. "Me." Martin's eyelids fluttered. "Of course."

Korra gave him a blank look. "What?"

He looked up at her. "The spirit lights. They could be seen across the entire world that night, because our two worlds were linked more closely than ever." Martin licked his lips. "At the time, I was hot on the scent of a new lead, trying to further my research, when I came across this...aura. A place of strong spiritual energy, like nothing I'd ever felt. While documenting its existence, lights from the direction of the portals flared, blindingly bright, for just a second.

"I don't remember anything after that, from my end, but from his...from his I can remember seeing that...abomination touch down in Yue Bay. I remember...feeling the fire of an engine exploding, falling...and the sky flaring up, the spirit lights intensifying." He looked up at Korra. "As the Dark Avatar emitted more and more power, his meddling began to tear even greater holes at the boundaries between worlds. Whatever that...focal point was, it was used as an anchor point to drag me through. I collided with Ronald, and the massive amount of energy running through me at the moment of impact...caused our merge."

"It takes power for a spirit to bond with a human for any period of time," Korra confirmed. "Maybe the...off-set created by the jump created enough excess to keep you bonded permanently?"

Martin shrugged. "It's all moot at this point."

"But, maybe if we recreate that event," Asami started, "build up enough energy to—"

"Asami," he ground out, taking a deep breath as he looked up at her. "I have tried...everything to try and separate us. Trust me. Having another person inside your head is _not_ a fun experience." He snorted. "Especially not one as emotional and short-fused as Ronald."

Asami allowed herself a small smile.

"Mister—Martin," Barry amended. "Do you have any idea where the Reverse-Flash kept you, after the merge?"

His head shook slowly. "Like I said, I only get snippets. It was dark, underground." He squinted. "There wasn't any running water, so not a sewer. And there was this odor, like...old sulfur." He shrugged. "Does any of that help?"

Asami's eyes widened as her expression slowly shifted in horror. "Spirits..." Her gaze shifted to Barry. "I know where they are."

...

Republic City, Docks

"Excuse me, sir. RCPD. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

A weathered dock worker looked over at the approaching detective, taking a glance at his badge before returning to tying down a filled barrel. "Anything to help, officer."

"According to Republic City travel records, you and the crew of your ship were docked at this harbor seven years ago, dropping off a shipment from the North Pole?"

"Been lots of those over the years, you'll have to be more specific."

"White silk was on the manifest."

The worker's gray eyes widened. "Ooooh...that one. Yeah, real work of beauty, that stuff. Feels like warm snow in your hands."

Mako smirked. "I'm sure, though I'm more interested in what you may have witnessed that night. Specifically with regard to the water."

His brows furrowed. "Whaddya mean, exactly?"

"The water, light. See anything strange that night? When it started raining, maybe?"

A haunted look passed over the man's features as his jaw tightened and he looked away.

Mako took a step toward him, lips pursed. "Sir, that night is of special importance to an ongoing investigation. I'd owe you for any information you could give me. Anything at all, even if it seems unimportant."

The worker scowled at the ground, looking back up at Mako after a few seconds. "I hear things, okay? I read. Bein' a sailor, you see some strange stuff out on the open seas. Can make you superstitious, if you're not careful." He smiled sardonically, shaking his head. "But...I never seen anything like the devilry came around that night."

Mako's brows furrowed, hands brandishing his notebook. "Explain."

The man leaned over the barrel, drawing close and lowering his voice. "I'm down below deck, tryin' to catch a wink while the boys are out drinkin'. Sometime after I hear rain start to pound the hull, I hear this...sound. Don't even know how to describe it, really. Loud as all hell, startled me right out of half-sleep. Second later, another one goes off, and by now, I'm curious, so I go above deck, try to catch a look." His expression darkened. "Half the crickin' bay was floatin' around my ship before it came crashin' back down. I barely managed to get to cover before it hit.

"Next thing I know, I hear the crack of thunder, and I spot this...thing heading straight for me."

Mako's brows furrowed. "Can you describe it?"

He snorted, pulling a bound, worn ledger from a sack at his waist. "Think someone already 'as."

He turned several dozen pages until he reached one with a newspaper clipping on it: Linda Park's article about the murders Raiko tried to pin on the Flash.

Mako's face shifted in grim satisfaction. "That's what I thought," he said quietly.

"So," the man continued, "when you ask me about that night, tha's why I'm just a teen reluctant to answer. If those cops were taken out just for stumblin' across 'im, how d'ya think he'll react to someone blabbin' all about 'im?" He snapped the book shut and leaned toward Mako. "Or actively nosin' about?" The captain tucked the ledger back into his sack. "I'm sorry, detective, but that thing, whatever it is, I don't want no part of it."

Mako nodded. "I understand completely, captain, but a friend of mine lost his parents to that monster." His expression turned pleading. "Please. Help me bring him some peace."

The man looked away, staring out at the bay for a while. "It headed north, across the river. Ran right across the water, faster than I've ever seen. Didn't stop until it was out of sight, maybe not even then."

The detective nodded slowly, scribbling down the last of his notes, then flipping the book shut. "Thank you, sir. You've been a big help."

The sailor gave him a noncommittal grunt as he walked away. "'Ey lad!"

Mako turned to face him.

"Want some free advice? Leave this alone. I dunno how it felt for those cops to get taken out...and I don't want to. Think your friend would tell you the same if he knew what you were doin'."

The detective smiled sadly. "Oh, I wouldn't know about that." He held up his notebook in salute. "Thanks again."

Mako strode away from the dock with a cold pit in his stomach and a fierce resolve in his chest. _So he headed toward the North Pole after the deed was done. Hence the reports of floating liquid near that village._ His amber eyes narrowed. _If all liquid acts like this around the Reverse-Flash, it's strange that no other settlements along his route reported incidents like that...which means he must've stopped somewhere._ A grim smirk spread over his features as he mounted into his car and started the engine. _Think it's time for me to make a few calls._

As he drove away, a figure watched from the deepening shadows caused by the setting sun, a darkened alley concealing his presence, and the way his piercing eyes narrowed at the detective's departure. He vanished in a burst of red lightning a moment later.

* * *

AN: Wow. So, almost another two weeks for me to update. I'll admit, I've been working through one helluva bout of writer's block, hence why I decided to skip the filler and get straight to the action. Not much to say about this chapter, except that, as you can see, I've changed a _lot_ about the whole Firestorm origin arc. And established the multiverse as a "thing." If the whole deal about how Firestorm was created is still confusing, that's okay. I'm going to explain it in more detail come next chapter.

Hope you enjoyed this update and are looking forward to more coming soon.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Martin Stein and Firestorm: 1:02-end—sewer search/battling Firestorm/teaming up


	24. Skeptical

Skeptical (adj.): to be in a state of suspicion, disbelief, or mistrust regarding someone or something.

Future Industries Airfield

10 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Is everyone clear on the plan?"

A red-suited lightning bolt streaked out of the airfield's control tower, across the streets of Republic City toward another end of the metropolis. Barry put a finger to his earpiece. "I'm gonna scout ahead, make sure no one's in the vicinity of the entrance, while you and the others come in the tank."

He heard a small snicker over the link, probably from Cisco, before Asami sighed loudly. "Right. And it's not a tank."

A wry smirk came to Barry's face. "Well what exactly would _you_ call it?"

A moment's pause. "The All-terrain Support, Suppression, and Anti-Air Landing Transport. Or...ASAALT, for short."

He could hear curiosity in Korra's voice. "Does this thing have tricks we don't know about?"

Barry could just imagine the feral grin on Asami's face. "Just a few."

Shaking his head, the speedster refocused on the run, streaking across the city and making his way toward the outskirts. As he passed by a deserted storefront, his gaze flickered to his right, doing a double-take and letting his mouth drop when he saw...the Flash? A blink later, and the vision was gone, though in his confusion, Barry ground to a stop in the middle of an intersection. Horns were honking at a pedestrian in the crosswalk of a green-lit road, a woman calling for a taxi howling about her impending tardiness, a restaurant with neon lights flickering haphazardly due to disrepair.

The whole thing felt utterly surreal as he looked back at the street he'd just come from, seeing nothing but asphalt and darkened storefronts. His palms jammed into his eyes, his head shaking to clear out the apparition before he took off again. Home was within sight in minutes, a frown marring his features as he ran past the house, toward a large, darkened building. Asami's workshop, formerly her father's, was cleared in a matter of seconds, the lack of light near it indicating an equal lack of civilian presence. Frowning, Barry moved inside the building, searching the main room for the lever Asami had mentioned to him some time ago.

He found it behind a stack of wooden crates, just like Asami had told him, and inspected the area around it for signs of movement. All he found were thick sheets of dust, no doubt collected over a period of months. If anyone was getting inside her father's underground factory, it wasn't from this end...or was it? Barry's eyes narrowed as he pulled the lever and knelt by the secret entrance, his keen eyes sweeping over the floor just beyond as he pulled a lamp from one of the shelves, holding it to the ground. A grim set came to his jaw.

 _Just as I thought. No dust disturbed by the lever, to make it seem like this place is untouched._ He swept two gloved fingers over a cleared spot in the shape of a footprint. _But just inside, there are plenty of tracks to lead us on._ Ice-blue eyes narrowed. _He did that same trick when he attacked Lin, somehow used his speed to phase right through a concrete wall. But can he do the same for his prisoners?_

Barry stood and stared at the darkened passage, hands on his hips as a niggling fear ate away at his gut. If Caitlin was really down there, then the Reverse-Flash was as well, and the last time they'd met—

He shook his head to clear the thoughts. Last time, everyone had been blindsided by just how powerful his opponent was, a mistake that wouldn't happen again. And besides, he and the others were here to rescue Caitlin, not take on the man in yellow...although if they brought him down in the process, Barry would be the last to complain. He put a finger to his ear.

"Hey guys, you getting here any time soon?"

The front door was unceremoniously kicked open, Korra stepping through first, followed by Martin, then Asami and Cisco. Barry pointed down into the hole.

"He's definitely been down there. Just don't know for sure if Caitlin's here too."

Martin's white eyes narrowed. "This is the place."

Asami looked over at him. "You sure?"

He nodded grimly. "Smells the same, like a crypt coated in dying leaves."

Korra snorted as they proceeded onto the elevator below, the machine taking them further underground. "Definitely _feels_ like one. Asami, why haven't you touched this place at all?"

The woman frowned and stared at one of the passing walls, leaning against a rail. "Too many memories. Too many emotions." Her knuckles whitened around the rail. "I'd hoped I'd never have to see it again, after I had the entrance sealed up."

Korra put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, Barry walking up alongside her.

"I, uh...I hate to ask, but...how's your dad?"

Asami's gaze snapped up to him, shock written all over her face, though it quickly turned to cold rage. She turned away without answering, and Barry winced as he backed off, pacing the length of the lift.

"So," Cisco said suddenly, interrupting the tense silence. "Ronnie—I mean, Martin."

He chuckled. "It's all right, son. Common mistake to make, consider you can only see with your eyes."

The engineer gave him a strange look, then shook his head slightly. "Anyway, I was thinking..." He motioned to Barry. "He's the Flash." A wave at Korra. "She's the Avatar. What should we call you?"

Martin arched an eyebrow at him.

Cisco chuckled nervously. "I mean, no offense, but Martin isn't exactly a badass codename, if you get what I mean."

"And if you consider the fact that I'm...more than just me at the moment, it doesn't quite fit."

"So, I was thinking maybe...Flameburst?"

Barry snickered.

Cisco shot him a look. "Whitefire? Ya know, 'cause of your eyes?"

Martin bit on his lower lip to restrain his own laughter.

"The Burning Man?"

Even a brooding Asami snorted at that one.

Cisco's eyes rolled as he sighed. "Oh, come on. Fine, that one's a little on the nose, but seriously, this is important. Every metahuman we've come across so far has gotten a codename, and since this one's actually on _our_ side, for once—"

"How about...Firestorm?"

Four pairs of eyes turned to Korra, a grin slowly coming to Cisco's face.

"I like it," the dark-skinned man drawled geekily.

Martin's head cocked as he thought it over. He shrugged after a few seconds. "It does have a certain ring to it. Firestorm it is."

Finally, the elevator ground to a halt, and the five stepped off the lift as the hiss of released air reached their ears. Three turned toward the source, seeing Cisco with an opened bottle of orange soda.

Korra lifted her hands in an incredulous shrug. "Cisco. What the hell?"

He shot her a look. "What? Liquid acts funny around the Reverse-Flash when he's using his speed. I figure if this stuff starts levitating, he's nearby. Give us some early warning, ya know?"

"Oh," she replied quietly, smiling. "Good thinking."

Asami frowned concernedly as she gave the engineer a long look, pulling on her electrified glove. "Stay behind us, okay?"

Cisco nodded emphatically, standing in the rear of a box formation, Korra and Barry at the front as they proceeded inside the defunct factory. The massive atrium that greeted them was having some clearly unpleasant effects on Asami, as the girl's breathing increased in pace, her face paling slightly. Korra gave her shoulder a comforting pat before she turned back toward the interior of the structure, which had changed considerably since her last time there. What had been a massive open room with four-story ceilings was now a honeycomb of walls, levels, and windows.

Barry's jaw tightened. The Reverse-Flash had been busy.

"We need to have our heads on a swivel," Korra stated grimly. "Early warning or no, the Reverse-Flash may be the deadliest enemy we've faced yet. Even with the four of us, if we get blindsided, he could kill us all before we even know what's happening."

"Speak for yourself," Barry growled.

Korra gave her boyfriend a long look, noting the extreme tension in his jaw and the way his fists were clenched. "Barry, don't even _think_ about running off on your own. If we do run into him, it'll take all of us to hold him off."

"But if I find Caitlin before that happens, I can get her out of here in seconds."

"And he'll catch you," she countered. "We already know he's faster than you are."

The Flash gave her a dark look. "For now."

Korra's lips pressed together in an intense frown as he turned away and kept walking toward the maze ahead. She, in no uncertain terms, did _not_ like what this speedster could do to her Barry, just at the mention of his name. Out of everyone present, for one reason or another, Martin—Firestorm looked the least perturbed, either by their surroundings or their impending confrontation. They barely made it halfway down the first hallway, to a large four-way intersection, when Cisco stared down at his soda in horror.

"Guys—"

They turned to him, each spotting the floating orange liquid.

Asami quickly pulled him into the center of their box, brandishing two electrified kali sticks from her back and taking a ready stance, Firestorm igniting his hands and head, all four defenders facing in different directions. The tension in their stances was only mirrored by the thickness of the air as the liquid in Cisco's bottle fell back down. A loud whir came from Asami's end as she pulled her eyes from Cisco, her instincts responding instantly as she swung both kali sticks in wide, sweeping arcs, their electrified surfaces slicing diagonally through the air and just missing their target as he arced around her.

The red-trailed yellow blur circled the team twice before Firestorm unleashed a burst of flames into his path. The Reverse-Flash weaved between them, throwing Firestorm headfirst into a wall, then snatching Cisco's soda and chucking the bottle into Barry's head at high speed, knocking him to the ground. Korra let loose two whips, one water, one metal, and swung at his blurred form repeatedly when he came to her end of the intersection, the speedster running for the Avatar and withdrawing when another flame burst cut just in front of her. The heat of the fire sent Korra stumbling back a step, but other than a bit of smoke curling off her clothes, she was unharmed.

Asami swung repeatedly as the blur got within range of her, using Oliver's warding style and quick, sweeping arcs to keep him away. He was a lot faster than Barry had been that night, though, and before she could even register it, the Reverse-Flash had gone behind her and taken out her legs, her back hitting the deck a second later. The ground beneath the Reverse-Flash shot into the air, and his yellow-clad body hit the ceiling as she pinned him there, firing her cables at his arms and restraining him further.

They both growled in effort as the vibrations of his body began increasing by massive degrees, a quick jab sending a stream of water into his face, forcing him to briefly close his red eyes. When they opened again, they weren't glowing, or red, but a piercing grey. A shuddering breath left her lungs as she recognized those eyes. _No. Can't be._ Her head shook and eyes closed as she began to hyperventilate, opening them a second later to see the previous glowing red glaring back at her.

Unfortunately, her brief inner struggle had weakened her concentration somewhat, and the next thing she knew, the rock pinning the Reverse-Flash had shattered, and his feet hit the ground. Barry pushed himself to his knees just as the enemy speedster sped off down a hallway. He snarled for the split-second before he took off after him.

"Barry!" she shouted, hoping to halt him, but it was too late. A few heavy breaths left her lungs as she recovered from her brief lapse, sweat pouring down her face and arms. She looked around to see the others regaining their footing with respective groans, Cisco looking to be the only one uninjured.

The darker man released a heavy, shuddering breath. "I've been that close to him only once before. Had _zero_ desire to do it again."

Korra frowned and nodded in agreement, shuddering when she remembered the way he'd moved. Last time they'd met, she had only seen the tail end of the fight, after Firestorm had blasted the Reverse-Flash away from her Barry. But to actually see him in action was beyond frightening. Another shiver passed through her frame as she considered the fact that if Barry weren't...Barry, he could've been that... _thing_. Among the overwhelming fear and anxiety that began to plague her, though, Korra could feel a twinge of something else: pity.

What could possibly have led the Reverse-Flash, whoever he was, to become so...evil? It wasn't a word she usually assigned to any human being, despite all the darkness she'd seen and experienced, but among the enemies she'd faced in the past, there had been exceptions, Unalaq and Zaheer most notable. As of now, the Reverse-Flash was unquestioningly added to that list.

...

Pain and anger were the predominant feelings in Barry's body at the moment, considering his head was throbbing like it'd been repeatedly hit with a sledgehammer, and he was currently chasing after the most hated man in Republic City. The Reverse-Flash led him through one turn after the next, twisting through the maze like a madman, which he supposed he was, and leading him deeper and deeper. Once or twice, Barry got close enough to take a swing, but every time he either dodged or smacked the blow away.

That is, until a burst of adrenaline filled the Flash's system, and he felt his legs take on an extra burst of speed—just enough to allow him to tackle the speedster into a wall. The Reverse-Flash hit the metal with a resounding thud, chest-first, only staying there for a split-second before he whirled around in Barry's grasp, his elbow shooting out toward the Flash's head. The bony appendage impacted his chin solidly, and Barry stumbled back a step before returning with a few blows of his own.

Unlike their first or even second fight, the Reverse-Flash's movements were actually traceable—if just barely—at least at this range, with this level of concentration, so he managed to keep from getting hit...most of the time. An uppercut snapped the Flash's head upward, and he brought it back down and forward into the other speedster's head—hard. A resounding crack filled the hallway as the Reverse-Flash stumbled back a step, then zipped behind him and twisted one arm behind his back painfully, slamming him face-first against the wall.

"You've been practicing since our last encounter," his unnatural voice remarked.

Barry snarled. "What can I say?" he hissed painfully. "I have a remarkably hard head." The Flash was spun around, his lip splitting when his face was punched mid-spin, his body toppling to the ground as his head spun.

"And a remarkably large mouth," the Reverse-Flash replied. "Practice or no, I'm still one step ahead."

With that, he ran, but Barry chased after him, unable or unwilling to just let him go. One turn after the next was taken, the Flash pretty sure they were running in circles, or at least spirals. Another corner was rounded, and Barry's eyes widened as his heart leapt in his chest. _Dead end!_ He sped toward the Reverse-Flash, right fist cocked back as he prepared to slam him the moment he ran out of running room. His hopes were dashed a second later when his fist impacted cold metal, the yellow-clad speedster having phased straight through the wall just a split-second earlier.

The pain in his hand was nothing compared to that in his chest as he let out a frustrated roar, his rage-addled mind clearing enough for him to realize what had just happened. His index tapped his earpiece.

"Guys," he droned, "he led me on a wild goose chase. Now I have no idea where I am."

"I knew it," Korra hissed. "And these walls are all made of platinum, so it's not like I can just rip 'em down to find you."

Barry's lips pursed in a deep frown. "I'm gonna try and get back to you somehow, but please, get to Caitlin before he does."

"Roger that."

...

Korra tapped her earpiece to close the link as Asami and Firestorm approached a wheel-locked door, the latter melting through the door's hinged when the wheel failed to turn. A few seconds later, the four cautiously stepped through the open passage, revealing a pitch-black room beyond. The light coming from Firestorm's head and hands intensified as he flared them up, revealing a long room filled with medical beds and metal tables.

"Spirits," Asami breathed. "This almost looks like a...hospital."

Firestorm glared down at a set of scalpels and forceps. "Or a surgery room."

At the sound of his voice, a low moan split the air, in a voice that all present recognized.

"Caitlin!" he shouted desperately, bursting into flames and flying toward the source.

Alarm filled Korra's system as red flags went up. "Firestorm, wait!"

A moment later, a thick glass door slammed shut between him and them, a speaker on the other side the source of the voice. Korra could see the hybrid trying to calm himself, then turning off the flames on his hands to observe the speaker itself. He whirled to face her.

"This thing isn't just a speaker, it's an intercom. She's here somewhere, and you need to find her. Go, Avatar! I'll find a way out of here!"

She frowned, but nodded and marched off toward the only other passage, freezing when they came to a two-way intersection. "We need to split. Asami, you go with Cisco down the right, I'll go left."

"Korra—" she protested.

The Avatar whirled on her friend. "There's no time, 'Sami! You _heard_ her, heard how miserable she sounded. If we don't get to her soon...I don't wanna know what'll happen."

Asami exchanged a look with Cisco, then nodded and ran off to the right. Korra went in the opposite direction, engaging an air scooter now that she no longer had to slow down for them. At the end of a long series of turns was a single room, with a single occupant. In her haste to see Caitlin all right, Korra ignored the red flags going off and approached the woman, who was curled up into a ball on a medical bed. Her eyes widened when she saw how pale the doctor was.

"Caitlin?" she asked softly.

The doctor didn't even stir.

"Caitlin," she repeated, stronger this time, with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

A few seconds passed, and she was about to shout Snow's name when a small voice answered her. "Korra?"

A wide smile spread over the Avatar's features as she slowly turned Caitlin upright. "That's right, Cate. I'm here. And so's Ronnie. Everything's gonna be—" The breath froze in her throat when she saw Caitlin's eyes. It froze quite literally a second or two later, when she put her hands on the Avatar's exposed arms.

"So cold," Cate whispered with a shiver. "I need...more heat. More...heat."

Korra felt painful shivers course through her as she vainly tried to pull away, her breaths coming in choked gasps as she felt her body begin to go numb. "Cate," she gasped out. "Let...go. Please." Her voice was becoming smaller and smaller as she felt a layer of the coldest ice she'd ever seen spread over her exposed skin. "Doctor...Caitlin, _think_."

As she looked up into her friend's now pale blue irises, Korra realized that there was no one in the house.

"Cate," she ground out. "Get... _back_!"

A hard blast of air proceeded from her mouth as the doctor's grip was finally broken, Korra's numb arms shaking off the thin layer of ice as she tried to get some feeling back into them. She eyed Caitlin's weary form warily, the doctor just ten feet away and slowly scrambling to her feet.

"Caitlin, snap _out_ of it!"

The pale woman looked up at her, expression torn between agony and regret as she gripped and rubbed her arms. "You don't understand," she said brokenly. "I need—more heat!"

Korra's eyes widened as two streams of pure ice streaked from Caitlin's hands, her years of training kicking in as she leapt to the side, rolling to her feet and taking a ready stance as her friend collapsed to her knees.

"It's...so cold."

The Avatar's fists tightened as a vise gripped her heart painfully. _This isn't her fault._ Her eyes shut up tightly. _Spirits...what have you done to her, Reverse?_ She opened her eyes to see Caitlin again making her approach. Thinking quickly, she ignited two flames, one in each hand, and watched as the doctor blinked rapidly, her lips parted as she was drawn to them like a moth.

"Okay...okay." Korra nodded. "You're cold. I can help with that. Just...keep your distance."

Barely aware, the doctor nodded slightly as Korra approached her like a wounded animal. The Avatar watched as Cate's eyes fluttered closed, her lips widening into a small smile as the flames got closer. Korra turned up the juice a bit, and the peaceful expression intensified, Cate's breathing and shivers slowing down until she was closer to the realm of calm.

"Cate?" she asked quietly, hoping she was a little more coherent now.

The doctor just took a long, uninterrupted breath and smiled, her eyes still closed.

Korra lowered her hands, the fires going out. "Caitlin?"

Caitlin's eyes snapped open, her expression shifting to something between fury and desperation. "No!"

She lashed out for Korra, the Avatar withdrawing just beyond her fingertips and reigniting the flames. Again, she calmed somewhat, but this time lunged directly for the fire.

Korra's eyes went wide. "Caitlin, no!"

Before she could fully extinguish the flames, Cate had completely enclosed her hands around one of them, a blissful smile creasing her features as she collapsed to her knees, the look leaving a second later when the fire was gone.

"Caitlin, your hands—" The Avatar stared in blank confusion as she saw that Cate's hands were not only unhurt, but still coated in a layer of what looked like permafrost. "I don't understand," she muttered, taking a step away from the doctor.

"No," said an unnatural voice from behind her.

She twirled around to face him, hands at the ready.

"But you will."

The Reverse-Flash sprinted for the women, Korra stepping between them and throwing several fire kicks his way before dislodging a boulder and tossing that as well. Everything was avoided effortlessly as he streaked past, the wind shear alone nearly throwing her off-balance. His blow threw her fifteen feet into a wall, something in her shoulder popping rather painfully. Pushing through the pain, she used her good arm to get to her feet, holding the other in place to stabilize it as the Reverse-Flash picked up Caitlin and slung her body over his shoulder.

"No," Korra growled painfully, taking a step toward them.

His blurred form and the kidnapped doctor vanished in a flash of red lightning.

"No," she repeated in a broken whisper, collapsing to her knees.

Another whir sounded from behind, followed by a gust of wind hitting her back. Now that she had let herself rest, the adrenaline wore off, and the pain in her shoulder became too great for her to care. A gentle hand on her shoulder caused a painful burst of relief in her heart.

"Korra?"

"I'm—" she let out a pained whimper when he adjusted the arm, "—I'm fine. Just a bad shoulder is all."

"It's dislocated," Barry stated concernedly, bracing her shoulder with one hand while the other held her arm. He sighed hard. "I'm not gonna lie, this is gonna be quick but _extremely_ painful."

Korra nodded grimly, knowing what he had to do. The shoulder slid back into place with a wet _shlick_ as she screamed into the echoing chamber. Barry's strong arms around her shoulders kept her grounded as the agony slowly subsided. He was muttering something into his earpiece, but something was wrong with her hearing. Everything was muffled. Just the pain and adrenaline, she guessed. Eventually, it began to clear up, and it registered that he'd called for the others as he ran a gloved thumb over her left hand. She blinked once as a memory struck her.

"You know...she said that once."

Barry frowned and looked down at her. "Who?"

"Caitlin. When you dislocated your shoulder training to fight Girder."

He snickered lightly. "Which turned out being pointless anyway, 'cause all it took was one punch."

She let out a painful laugh. "Right." Her smile faded instantly as her brows furrowed.

"Korra...what happened here? Where's Cate?"

The Avatar gulped hard. "She's gone. He took her." She frowned deeply. "Barry...he did something to her."

"Yeah, enhanced her bending, right?"

Her head shook slowly. "No...I mean...I don't know." She groaned softly. "It just doesn't make any sense. I've never seen _anything_ like it."

"Anything like what?"

Korra and Barry looked over at Cisco and Asami, who stepped through the entrance with concerned frowns on their faces.

"I'm okay," Korra answered to their unspoken question. "But Cate...she's not."

The roar of approaching flames filled her ears as Firestorm appeared from another entrance she hadn't noticed before. "What do you mean 'she's not'?"

The Avatar sighed hard. "Ronnie—Firestorm, whatever...when I found Caitlin, she was shivering violently. I tried to get her upright, so I could get her warmed up, but..." Cate's new eyes flashed in her vision, and she shook her head to clear the image. "Something's wrong with her. It wasn't just a simple case of being cold. It was like...she _needed_ more heat, no matter what I did to help. Not even touching fire satisfied her."

His white eyes went wide. "You let her touch fire? Directly?!"

"I didn't have a choice! She lunged, and I couldn't put it out in time!" Taking a breath to calm herself, Korra continued. "It was...like her whole body was coated in a layer of frost." She looked around at each of them. "She's not thinking straight, obsessed with getting more and more heat, and when she touched me, it was like...like she was sapping it out of me. Siphoning off my body heat to warm herself up."

"Spirits," Asami breathed in a horrified whisper. "If she does that to someone for long enough—"

"It'll kill them," Barry finished. He stayed silent a while, then looked back down at Korra. "You said fire didn't satisfy her...but it helped, right?"

She nodded slowly.

His lips pursed. "We need to find her, then. Find her and keep her in an extremely hot room, just to see if that'll help. As long as she has this...hunger, no one is safe. We need to find a way to sate it, or at least blunt it, otherwise she'll never be able to think straight."

"How?" Firestorm asked numbly. "If he's taken her, they could be anywhere by now, halfway across the world for all we know."

"They're not," both Barry and Korra said with certainty.

Barry shot her a look, then shifted his focus back to Firestorm. "The Reverse-Flash won't waste an opportunity to flaunt this in our faces, in _my_ face." He huffed out a bitter laugh. "His fixation on making me suffer is the one thing giving her a fighting chance. Oh, the irony."

"Well, before we do anything," Asami said, "we need to get out of here. Now that we know about this place, he knows he can't ever return, so that's something. We'll have to come back sometime, see if we can't find anything of use."

"Wait," Cisco said suddenly. "That upper level, the new one he installed...we never checked it out."

"Cisco," Firestorm bit out, "is that _really_ important right now?"

He shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe, considering it could hold clues to where the Reverse-Flash might be holed up right now."

Barry perked up at this. "I know the way out of the maze. I can get us up there."

Firestorm's jaw tightened as he looked at him. "Do it."

One by one, they vanished in flashes of golden lightning.

...

Police HQ, Republic City

A malevolent grin creased Mako's features as he set his phone back in its cradle. The early evening had been an extremely productive one since he'd made his initial calls. One thing had led to the next, and he had discovered the arrival of a stranger in a remote village near the North Pole, the night of Barry's orphaning. He hadn't been dressed in yellow, but he also wasn't wearing traditional Water Tribe garb, or any familiar clothing, for that matter. Apparently, he'd paid them to hire a boat for him, which then led to his arrival in the Earth Kingdom some months later. No names, no references, only cash.

After that, the reports of this stranger all but ceased, his description one of a black-haired man standing about six feet tall with piercing blue eyes and a smooth disposition. Virtually any businessman with decent height and dark hair matched that description. He'd assumed it to be nothing but a dead end until he found that unexplained deaths had been occurring among the people involved in the original incident. Men and women, young and old, sick and healthy, began dying of failing hearts or damaged brains, not enough to warrant more than a glance, for most, if you didn't know what to look for.

Mako did.

He'd read the reports, heard the stories, and he knew that the Reverse-Flash was somehow able to vibrate his molecules fast enough to go _through_ solid objects, including, he assumed, people. From all the geek-speak he'd heard from Barry over the years, he'd picked up a thing or two about physics, and in this particular instance, one fact came to mind: two solid objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. If the Reverse-Flash were to, say, vibrate his hand fast enough to phase partway through someone, and then allow that limb to solidify while _inside_ them, the damage would be catastrophic, and likely irreversible.

Even a partial solidification would cause irreparable damage to human tissue...yet in a degree subtle enough not to show up on an autopsy. With this new MO in mind, Mako kept searching, kept making calls, inquiring about similar cases. As it turned out, the coroner's office in Ba Sing Se had over a dozen of these cases, most dealing with major scientific or government organizations. Republic City's records had at least two times that number, and those were just the bodies they'd found. He shuddered to think of how many more deaths he was responsible for.

Tracing the murders to a more current date, he managed to pin down a focal point of the Reverse-Flash's undercover activities: scientific research, specifically commissioned by the reinstituted Earth Kingdom. He only knew of one such expedition operating in Republic City, and now he knew where to find it.

...

3 hours later

Future Industries Airfield

Another clipboard hit a wall at a startling volume. Nobody noticed anymore. One heavy object after the next had been thrown in one bout of frustration or another over the past three hours, everything they took from the Reverse-Flash's hideout leaving them with virtually nothing, nothing concrete, anyway. Most of it was research notes of some sort, all advanced and _heavily_ encrypted. Without the proper cipher, there was no way that even a codebreaker of Barry's caliber would be able to translate it.

It was irrelevant anyway. They didn't care about the sick research their enemy had been performing, not unless it pertained to their afflicted colleague, signs of whom hadn't been seen since Korra found her. Not a single reference to other locations had been found yet, leaving them with a lot of questions and no leads on Caitlin. After nearly pacing a hole into the floor of the command center, Barry was ordered to take a run on the treadmill, where he was now, evidently working off some anger, based on the look on his face.

Korra was staring at his blurred form absently, feeling nearly useless in this investigation. Another "feeling useless" sigh came from her right, and she looked over to see Firestorm slumping into a chair.

She nodded to him. "You too?"

The hybrid frowned and nodded slowly. "I just...I can't seem to think straight. I'm not Ronnie. I know I don't love this woman, but..." He winced. "I can't help but feel...something. It's distracting, and unnerving, and..." He sighed hard. "I really just want to find her."

Korra nodded in understanding, shifting her gaze back to Barry after a while. Her features shifted as she noticed something, then rose from her seat and strode toward the room's entrance. The moment she entered, everything became startlingly clear. "Barry," she called, "whatever you do, don't stop running."

He gave her a strange look, but nodded and kept going. The others began to take notice and file into the room as she approached the base of the treadmill. Slowly, she reached down toward a white blur barely seen against the black backdrop of the machine's treads. Her hand touched something fast-moving, and it immediately detached from the mechanism. As Barry slowed to a stop and hopped off the treadmill, she unfurled a small white sheet of paper—with coordinates and a time set for the next day.

Barry scowled at the paper. "He's been here. While we were raiding his office, he was here."

Korra nodded slowly. "And he's giving us an invitation, evidently."

"No," Eddie said from the side, pointing at Barry, "just him. The backside."

Korra turned the sheet over to see the ever-so-ominous, "Come alone." She snorted. "If he really thinks we're gonna let you go alone—"

"Then he's right," Barry interrupted, looking over at her. "I'm not gonna risk Caitlin's life because I'm afraid."

"And what about _your_ life?" Korra demanded, getting close to him.

His head shook. "He's not gonna kill me."

"You don't know that."

"He's had _ample_ opportunity, and he _definitely_ has the means. The Reverse-Flash wants me alive, for some reason. Someday, I intend to find out why, but for now, our focus needs to be on getting Caitlin back safe and sound."

Reluctantly, she bit down on her lower lip and nodded.

"Besides, your shoulder needs to heal. Without your full range of motion, you can't bend properly, which makes you a target."

Frowning deeply, she nonetheless gave him a grudging nod.

He put a hand on her good shoulder. "Go home, Korra. There's nothing more you can do here. I'll call you when I'm heading over, so you can at least get patched in."

She gave him an intensely displeased look. "You better."

Barry smiled a little. "I will." He turned toward Firestorm. "And I promise I will do everything in my power to get Caitlin back safe and sound."

The firebender's jaw tightened. "Just do whatever it takes."

He nodded, then marched off with Asami to check city plans of the location specified by the coordinates.

Eddie sighed and turned to those remaining. "I think I'm gonna head out too. I'm no use to you guys anymore, but if you do find Dr. Snow, or anything changes with Firestorm, you give me a call."

"Sure thing, Eddie," Cisco answered.

Korra rubbed her tired eyes and shook her head to clear away some of the fog, then snatched up her airbending staff and marched toward the exit. Something occurred to her then, and she stopped by one of the phones to dial a number quickly. When two successive calls to that number ended in failure, she smirked and set the receiver down on its cradle. Korra was out the door a second later. Fifteen minutes passed, and she set down in front of a well-off apartment building, moving inside and waving at the doorman, who was familiar with her.

Ascending the stairs several floors, she arrived at his door, closing her eyes and feeling the metal in the knob before bending it to unlock. Opening the door, she stepped inside and locked it behind her, knowing she'd be taking the window out. Dark blue eyes swept over the "living" room, which now more closely resembled the inside of the RCPD bullpen, considering all the files and case notes strewn about. Her head shook slowly as a long-suffering sigh left her lips, her hands dancing from one stack of papers to the next as she tried to make sense of it all.

Frowning deeply, she shook her head to clear out the tangle of words filling her cross-eyed vision, then closed up the last of twelve files she'd parsed through. Rubbing her thumbs over her eyes, she stood and made her way toward Mako's room, a small part of her screaming not to go there, and she hesitated just long enough for something to catch her eye. Through the half-open door of what used to be Barry's room, she could see sheets of paper hanging off of something.

Eyebrows furrowed, she stepped through the door and shifted her gaze to the papers, noting an entire board filled with various clippings and images, most connected by strings of one color or another. A red-stringed entry caught her exhausted eye as everything started to blur together, and she realized she was staring at one of the articles on Barry's board, back at HQ.

"Respected Doctor and His Wife Murdered," she muttered. Dread rising within her, Korra looked from one entry to another, her eyes widening steadily until a painful feeling rose in her chest.

 _"What's been done needs to be put right...but I can't just come to the table empty-handed."_

Her eyes closed as a sharp sigh left her lips. _Oh, Mako...you lovable idiot._

Quickly retreating into the hallway, she closed the door halfway behind her and returned everything to the way she found it. The Avatar slipped out the window a moment later, with absolutely no intentions of heading home.

Unbeknownst to her, however, someone was watching her sudden ascent, blue eyes tracking her every move, then shifting to the apartment. A disappointed sigh left the lips of the figure as he turned around and shook his head, streaking across the city to wait for the hammer to drop.

* * *

AN: Whooooo two chapters in one week! Think I'm finally getting my muse back, which is great. We're getting to the latter sections of Angel's "Act I," if you will, Act II being whatever happens during Book Four, so expect things to start heating up by an exponential degree. Although I am losing a bit of steam and running into some considerable writer's block, and as a result may be late in posting new stuff, I don't plan on stopping outright until this is finished.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more Florra epicness.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	25. Displaced

Displaced (adj.): to be put in place of something else, either physically or figuratively.

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

10 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Barry leaned over the plans of the city square specified in the given coordinates and studied them with intense eyes, committing every detail of the area and the surrounding buildings to memory. He turned when a series of rapid footfalls came from the stairwell.

"Barry," the newly-arrived Korra called, an airbender staff tucked under her arm. "I need to talk to you."

The speedster sighed hard. "Aren't you supposed to be home?"

"On a hunch, I took a little detour."

His features shifted slightly. "What do you mean?"

She blinked hard, lifting a hand to calm him. "It's not what you think. I...kind of visited Mako earlier today, and he was acting weird, so I stopped by his place when I was sure he wasn't there." She frowned deeply. "Barry...I know why he's been so distant lately, why he's shut you out so completely."

He stared at her expectantly.

Korra hesitated a moment. "He's been investigating the Reverse-Flash. Alone. Thinks he needs to...I don't know, buy his way back into your good graces?"

Barry's mouth open and closed noiselessly as he thought over what she'd just told him. A small shake of the head cleared his exhaustion-clouded mind. "I can't deal with this right now. I'm tired, I'm cranky, and I've got no way to make time go any faster." He sighed hard, grabbing his jacket. "I'm going _home_."

Korra frowned. "Fair enough. But if I were you, I'd deal with this sooner rather than later."

He nodded drowsily, hands scrubbing his face. Korra's arms slid around his chest, her face pressing into his shoulder. He lowered his arms and held her closer, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his fragmented mind.

"I think we've all been rattled by what's happened in the past day," she said softly. "We need to be rested if we're gonna do Caitlin any good tomorrow."

He nodded into her hair, inhaling slowly and feeling a wave of drowsiness wash over him. "I dunno if I can go home, now that I know what's right under it."

"Would it help if I were there?"

Barry's eyes opened, and he looked down into hers for a few seconds before nodding slowly. With practiced ease, he lifted her off the ground in a bridal carry, her arms around his neck. Minutes later, they sped through the gates of the Sato estate, past the oblivious servants and through one gilded hall after the next until the guest room was within sight. Korra's body hit the mattress and before she knew what was happening, she was decked out in a set of Asami's nightwear. Korra's dark brows hiked upward as she gave his blurred form a long look, blinking again when he materialized next to her, clad in little more than sweatpants and a thin sleeveless shirt.

He immediately looped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her body close to his as he held her flush against him. Blinking rapidly in surprise, she leaned into him, pressing her hands against his thinly-covered chest and laying her head on his wirily muscular shoulder. The tension in his arms slowly ebbed as she gently rubbed his chest, planting feather-light kisses over the length of his neck. He gently stroked her back and sides, his hands coming to a stop as he began to nod off. When she was sure he was completely out of it, she pulled the covers over them and settled down, her live pillow more than comfortable enough for her to join him minutes later.

...

Next day

6:10 PM

Republic City, Residential District

Mako stared at his crime board with heavy eyes, fingers lacing through his madly frizzed hair as he beat back his exhaustion. _I'm so close...so close to cracking this wide open._ His amber eyes narrowed. _I'm missing something. Something so critical, so obvious..._ He huffed and lightly smacked his face a few times to wake up. "I swear, it's staring me in the face."

He pulled a photo of Korra, Barry, and Asami off the side of the board, feeling a painful throb drag his heart down. He'd barely spoken a word to any of them since the...incident, and Korra's visit yesterday hadn't been much help. If anything, it only exacerbated the feelings of loneliness and isolation that had increased over the last few weeks. He'd never been overly fond of being around a lot of people, or just people in general. There were notable exceptions, his brother, of course, Asami, and the rest of Team Avatar. But that's exactly what they were: exceptions.

Even then, there was only so much company he could take before he had to pull back, had to withdraw from all the feelings. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't nearly as uptight as he had been in the past, before he and Bolin met Korra, but nevertheless some measure of caution was always present. He was particular about who he opened his heart to, about who he trusted and let into his life. As he looked back on when he became a cop, when he first met Barry, he understood the gist of why befriending him had been so easy.

His warm, easygoing nature had been classic Bolin, and his abilities, both professionally, to crack crime scenes wide open, and personally, to lift anyone's spirits regardless of circumstance, had immediately warmed the firebender up to him. What kept him coming back, though, was another matter entirely. He was...Mako couldn't define it, even now. Not in words. He was...a spark. Life, energy, warmth, optimism—everything about him combined for this irresistible combination of childish geek and brilliant man.

As he reflected on the actions of the man he now hunted, Mako couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude for whatever power bestowed the Flash's abilities on Barry. He'd already seen the kind of devastation one rogue speedster could incur. The detective shuddered to think of what would've happened had a less...scrupulous man received the blessings of that lightning bolt. Immediately after this feeling it, he smacked his forehead hard, groaning lightly. _It's official. I'm an idiot._

Blinking rapidly, he took a whiff of himself and coughed hard, making for the door when something caught his eye. A picture of the research team he'd been investigating was taped to the edge of the board, and he approached it with narrowed eyes, cocking his head slightly as some of his keener senses began to return. His right hand reached out and pulled the black-and-white picture from the board, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. A black-haired, blue-eyed man was present in the photo, third from the left in a team of six. He had been absent from the team's headquarters when he'd gone over earlier, and he'd immediately felt a pang of dread in his system.

What if he was onto him? Had he figured out how much he knew? Would he be coming after his friends, his family? Raava knew he was fast enough to run to Ba Sing Se and murder Bolin faster than he could make a call. After checking with and warning his brother, though, his nerves had settled down somewhat, as Bolin had told him just how quiet everything was. Belatedly, he'd realized how foolish he was being, and that all this worry was probably just the exhaustion-induced paranoia talking.

Now, as he stared at the photo and the youthful, handsome face of this man, he began to wonder. _What am I missing? It's staring me in the face, I just_ know _it._ He performed a quick calculation in his head based on the team's location and their surroundings in the main city square. Suddenly, his eyes widened and jaw dropped. _It's not him. He's too tall._ His breathing increased in pace and strength as he held the picture closer, examining it with a critical eye. _Witnesses claim he's around six feet tall. This guy's at least six-three, so who could..._

Amber eyes widened to their max as he stared at the picture in horror.

"No," he whispered aloud. "It can't be."

"I'm afraid so."

Mako whipped toward the door when he heard the unnatural voice, standing frozen in place, his jaw on the floor as he cast a horrified look at the figure standing in the doorway. Two glowing red eyes stared back, the attached body stepping into the room and casting a dismissive look at the board. The Reverse-Flash slowly turned back to the detective as he shrugged and took a few more steps inside.

"I must admit," the speedster began, voice still altered, "I'm impressed with your work. In less than a month, you unraveled a mystery that Barry Allen has spent all of his adult life trying to solve." He gave a round of slow applause. "Congratulations. You just solved the case of the century. Well... _this_ century, anyway."

Mako's eyes narrowed, first in confusion and then in rage. "It was you," he growled. "All this time...you were toying with him, meddling in his life, influencing him."

"Oh yes," he confirmed.

"You protected him, helped him."

"Right again, two for two."

The firebender's head shook slowly in disbelief. "Why? Why the charade? Why devote so much time and effort to someone you so _clearly_ hate?"

Even with his blurred features, he could see the Reverse-Flash's jaw tighten. "Because I _need_ him. Trust me, if that were not the case, I would've put Barry out of his misery a _long_ time ago."

"Why?" Mako demanded.

"It's complicated."

"Uncomplicate it! He's spent the last seven years as an orphan because of you, he deserves to know why!"

The speedster sighed and shook his head. "And he will...but not yet." He looked over at the board, then back at Mako, whose features shifted in dreadful realization. "Did you really think your investigation would go unnoticed? That I would stand idly by while you undo years of work and planning?"

Mako gulped hard, taking a step back as the Reverse-Flash advanced, his right arm rising and beginning to vibrate.

"No one can know my secret. Not yet." The arm rose further as he advanced, Mako standing rooted to the spot as his body refused to move. "I am truly sorry for this. The world will be a lesser place with your loss, but such is the price of meddling in matters you could not begin to comprehend. Your death will be my salvation, Mako. The relief of pain seven years in the making."

Mako's jaw tightened as terror flooded his bloodstream. "Barry will stop you," he ground out shakily.

The Reverse-Flash hesitated for a moment, then huffed. "No, he won't. In this time or my own, I always win."

His open hand lowered to chest level, cocked back barely a foot from Mako's chest.

"Goodbye, detective."

...

5 hours earlier

1:05 PM

Future Industries Airfield

"All right, we've got less than fifteen minutes before the meeting. Barry, you know the drill?"

"Keep him inside the square as long as possible so you can set up those electric pylons."

"Exactly. With the new spirit energy batteries we installed in the system, we were able to produce an output exponentially higher than the last models. If the Reverse-Flash tries to cross _this_ barrier, at the very least it'll disable him. At most, it'll fry him."

Firestorm scowled and crossed his arms. "Can't say I'm particularly against either option."

"That makes two of us," Barry replied darkly. "How long do you think it'll take you to set up?"

Asami frowned slightly. "If we get there exactly on time, maybe three minutes? It'd be faster if you could set up the pylons, but he'd see that coming."

Barry nodded. "Three minutes...piece of cake."

"Everything's set," Cisco called from the loading dock, prompting a series of nods from all present.

"Let's get moving," Asami ordered, all splitting up to head to their respective modes of transportation.

Firestorm was packed into the van, since a flying fireball wasn't the most subtle way to approach the scene, while Korra took to the skies in a much less high-profile form. She'd be visible against the bright daylight, but much less so than the burning man they now had as an ally. Asami took the ASAALT, while Cisco managed the van, half of the pylons distributed in each, with Korra flying escort for Asami. Barry was left at the airfield, primarily because he couldn't bring himself to run at their pace, so worried he was about Caitlin.

About five minutes into the drive, a red blur streaked past Asami's vehicle, just a minute before the site was in sight. The location was a wide city square, currently unpopulated, despite the midday time, and the Flash couldn't help but wonder why as he skidded to a stop in the center of the square. A loud whir sounded from behind him, and he whirled around to see a blurred yellow form standing six feet from him.

"Right on time," came the altered voice. "I'm a little surprised, Barry, considering your compulsion for tardiness."

Barry just snarled. "Where's Caitlin?"

"Oh, she'll be just fine." He waved him forward. "Let's talk."

The Flash yelled and charged at him, the Reverse-Flash speeding away toward the edge of the square and running as Barry struggled to catch up. Cutting a corner, he made a swipe at the speedster, only to hit a wall when his momentum was used to toss him into a building. Glass shattered with his impact, and he forced himself back onto his feet as he resumed the chase. The Reverse-Flash kept just out of his reach, zigzagging across the grassy lawn of the square, then streaking through a fountain and casting a thin curtain of water over the space behind him.

Barry was blinded just long enough for his much faster opponent to circle back and hit him from behind, the red-clad man rolling to a stop and pushing himself upright only to be knocked back down. Clenching his teeth, the Flash attempted to rise once more only to be pinned to the ground by the Reverse-Flash's boot on his chest.

"Much as I always enjoy our little dances, I have no time for this, and neither do the people of this city."

Barry's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

He held up a remote trigger. "Six bombs, each in a different building around this square. Once I hit this button, they're on a two-minute timer. Find and disarm them in time, and the coordinates of Doctor Snow's location will be right here when you return."

The Flash stared at him with suspicion. "Why would you give me that?"

He could see a blurry smile on the man's face. "Call it a measure of good faith. In truth, her...condition has been deteriorating faster than I calculated, and I haven't the resources to keep her alive, not on my own."

"Why would you care?" Barry growled.

"Because she is...unique, and I protect my investments. That is all I'll say." He tapped the trigger with a resounding beep. "Two minutes, Flash. Better get going."

The Reverse-Flash was gone in the next second.

Barry put a finger to his ear. "Guys, please tell me those pylons were up."

"No," came Asami's immediate reply over the radio.

Barry hissed in frustration, then got up and started running. "He said there were six bombs, each in a different building. I need to find them _now_. Every single building around here is over eight stories tall, and there are ten of them. There's no way I'll be able to search them all in time."

"Maybe not every inch," Cisco said, "but if he's planting bombs by hand, then they have to be small, maybe the size of a briefcase each. Something that small would have to be put in a very specific location to do maximum damage. Check the support structures of each building."

"On it!"

Barry sprinted past dozens of patrons and workers on his way into a multi-function retail building, speeding toward the stairwell and getting to the bottom floor in seconds. The door to the maintenance room flew open with a slam as he searched every inch of the place. A suspicious parcel was spotted near one of the boilers, and opened a moment later to reveal an intricate—and familiar—bomb setup. His ice-blue eyes narrowed as a hand rose to his ear.

"I found the first one."

"Can you disarm it?" Korra asked.

"I think so, but not like this."

"What do you mean?"

Barry's lips pursed. "I've seen assemblies like this, in Ba Sing Se a week ago."

"Then that's good news, right?"

His head shook slowly. "Not exactly. The last time I saw a bomb like this, five of them were rigged to blow in tandem, connected by radio frequencies tuned to a specific distance. If I try to move any of them, they explode. If I try to disarm one without simultaneously disarming the rest, they explode."

"And we've got less than ninety seconds to figure it out," Cisco added.

"I'm moving for the next one." Barry took off toward the next building, blowing past people and doors until he spotted the next bomb, mentally marking down the location before moving again.

"Wait," Korra said, "you said they needed to be disarmed simultaneously. What if we each take one?"

"We did that last time, but it still wouldn't be enough," Cisco said dismissively. "There are only five of us, and six of them."

"And I just found the third one," Barry added.

The other three weren't difficult to find, now that he knew what to look for, but by the time the last one was located, they only had forty-five seconds left. Working quickly, Barry sped each team member to a bomb, then ran to the fifth one. _Thirty seconds._

"How do we do this?" Korra asked in a near-whisper.

"I don't know," Barry answered softly. "I don't know."

"Hang on," Asami said suddenly. "I might. Give me a second."

"We've only got twenty-five more, Asami."

"I know, I know," she replied rapidly. "These triggers—I recognize them from Varrick's mover work. They're on a delayed fuse. Barely more than a second, but still delayed. Barry, if you can run to two bombs before that second is up, we can disarm all of them at once."

"But—'Sami, I've never—"

"You have to," she said firmly. "Or a lot of people are gonna die...including Caitlin."

He hesitated for barely a split-second. "Okay. Let's do it."

"Everyone needs to cut their wires exactly on three," Cisco instructed. "One...two... _three_!"

Barry yanked on the prescribed wire hard, dislocating it as everything slowed to a crawl. He was out the door before the first tenth of a second, and by the halfway point, he was entering the other building. The Scarlet Speedster flew down the stairs like a viper bat out of hell, the door at the bottom flying off its hinges as he shoved it open, then dove for the bomb with barely a twelfth of a second left. His eyes slammed shut as he hit the ground, waiting for the boom and the darkness.

Neither came.

Ice-blue eyes fluttered open as he looked over at the parcel, then down at his hand, where the entire wire assembly was sitting—disconnected from the explosives. He arched an eyebrow and let his jaw drop.

A disoriented, "Huh," was all that came out of his mouth.

"Barry?" Korra asked in agitation. "Barry, are you okay?"

"Wha—yeah, yeah I'm fine. You all good?"

"We're alive," Asami replied. "All bombs disarmed."

The Flash frowned. "Time to see if his word's worth anything." Barry sprinted out of the building back into the middle of the square to see a small slip of paper sitting on a bench. He snatched it up in a blur and unfolded it to see an address printed on its surface. "I know where she is." He was gone in the next second.

"Barry, wait! It's a trap!"

"Could be," he admitted while running, "but I'm not waiting around for backup. He said her condition is deteriorating at an accelerated rate. Now I don't know what that looks like, but I don't intend to let it continue."

Barry found the place in less than five minutes, a dilapidated warehouse by the docks. Another two minutes, and he located a set of double-doors leading to the basement, chained and reinforced. His hands rose to its surface and pressed hard, then vibrated at a rate far faster than anything he'd achieved before. Little by little, the links of the chain and the bars holding the doors in place began to fray and crack. A loud snap filled the air as the metal shattered and doors swung open, admitting the Flash, who found his way to the bottom of the stairs in seconds.

His eyes rapidly scanned the room beyond the entrance of the basement, spotting a silhouette just twenty feet away. "I found her," he said in a near-whisper.

"Barry, don't touch her," Korra warned.

"I have to, if I'm gonna get her out of here." The Flash warily approached the violently shivering woman. "She's not in any condition to walk."

"Then...just make sure she keeps her hands off you. I don't know what he did to her, but whatever she touches loses its heat—fast. If she touches you, you could be dead by the time you get back. And that was before she deteriorated."

"I'll be careful," he assured her, tapping his earpiece and crouching next to Caitlin. "Cate," he said softly. "Cate, it's me." He pulled his cowl back. "It's Barry."

She barely inclined her head toward him. "Barry?" she whispered in a tiny voice.

"That's right. I'm gonna bring you home, okay? Where it's warm, and your friends are, and...Ronnie too."

Her pale blue eyes widened. "Ronnie?" she asked with slightly more strength.

"That's right," he said with a reassuring smile. "We found him. And I can bring you to him, but you need to keep your hands on your chest, understand? No matter what, you need to keep your hands back. Okay?"

Her lips twitched, and she shuddered violently. "But I'm...so cold...you're...not."

"I know, but I need to get you back home so you can warm up. I can't output enough heat to do that." His features shifted as something occurred to him. "But maybe I can make enough to tide you over." He breathed in deeply. "Hold still. I'm gonna try something."

Barry focused hard, vibrating his hands and bringing them together as lightning began to spark off them. It wasn't long before he could feel an enormous amount of heat building between his palms. He parted them and rapidly brought them to Caitlin's body, over her arms and shoulders, then down to her torso and legs. The shivering calmed, but didn't stop, and he figured it would be enough for now.

"Hang on," he ordered firmly, lifting her into a cradle carry. He sped toward the airfield with every fiber of his being, reaching the control building in record time and setting her down on a medical bed. "Guys," he said over the radio, "get back to the airfield, fast as you can. I don't know how much longer she's gonna last."

...

10 minutes later

Korra ran through the door of the medical room, Firestorm right behind her as they both stared at Caitlin and Barry, the latter of whom was sitting on a chair some three feet from the doctor, head in his hands.

"Barry?" Korra asked softly.

He didn't even lift his head. "I don't know what to do. I used friction, body heat...even tried to heal her with my powers. Nothing sticks."

Firestorm pursed his lips, eyebrows knitted. He looked over at the Avatar. "Korra, you said that when you blasted Caitlin with fire, it didn't even hurt her."

"Okay?" she asked dubiously.

He turned back to Ronnie's fiancé and nodded slowly. "Everyone clear the room."

Barry looked up at him, then at Caitlin, tiredly pushing himself to his feet and walking toward the exit, grabbing Korra's arm on the way out. The door shut behind them, and the rest of the team stood by the window with held breath.

"Caitlin," Firestorm began softly, "do you remember me?"

The doctor could barely open her eyes, but when she did, they widened noticeably. "Ronnie," she whispered, barely audible.

"N-No," the firebender answered. "Not Ronnie. Not exactly." He slowly sat next to her. "But he's here, inside me, and I...I don't know you...but I feel like I do." Firestorm tentatively reached out a hand. "I think I can help you. Ronnie wants me to. Are you willing to let me?"

Shivering once more, Caitlin gave him a shaky nod, looking over at the window to send a tearful look at Korra. The Avatar returned a small but reassuring and forgiving smile as Firestorm took her hand, wincing as he felt the heat begin to drain from the appendage. With a hard exhale, his hands and head burst into flames, and Caitlin gasped as her other hand flew to hold his, grip tightening by the second. Her eyes fluttered closed as her skin began to regain some of its color, a smile creasing her lips as she shifted closer to her fiancé.

Two minutes later, and she looked almost normal. Firestorm just looked drained, and when he released her hand, he staggered to his feet, leaning against a nearby wall hard. The team slipped inside the door, spreading out to not overwhelm Caitlin as her still-blue eyes flickered to each of them, eventually settling on Korra.

"Korra," she began shakily, "I'm sorry. I am…so sorry, for everything I did, everything I tried to—"

"Shh," she interrupted, taking a step toward her. "It's okay. You were in pain. People do stupid things when they're in pain. It's not your fault." The Avatar smiled and crouched down to her level, reaching out and taking her hand, smiling wider when she felt warmth in the appendage. "You have nothing to be sorry for." She looked back at the rest. "She's okay. She's—"

Her smile dropped instantly, eyes widening as she slowly turned back to Cate. Korra tried to pull her hand away, wincing when Caitlin's grip tightened, a thin sheet of ice forming around her fingers as the doctor again lost coherence.

"Oh spirits, no. Caitlin, let go. Let _go_!"

Korra yanked hard, her hand flying free and aching fiercely, the appendage tucked to her chest as Barry rushed to her side.

"You okay?" he asked concernedly.

"Yeah," she whispered. "But Cate…it didn't help. It's not working."

The first shivers came a second later, small but noticeable.

"Whatever he did to her isn't stopping. It's just getting worse."

"We need a doctor," Asami said, reaching for a nearby phone as Firestorm knelt at Caitlin's side, the woman casting miserable looks at the ground.

"Just hang in there, Cate," the firebender whispered. "Hang in there."

Barry noticed the odd looks Cisco was throwing the hybrid and nodded to him. "What?"

The darker man glanced over at him and shrugged. "Nothing. Just…he almost sounds like Ronnie."

Barry frowned and looked down at the pair, jaw tightening. "It's the least she deserves."

…

3 hours later

"Well?"

Eddie frowned deeply, staring at the floor with his glasses in the hand against his chin. "It's not good. By every test I've conducted…her cells are _constantly_ losing heat, and by all indications, the rate of loss is increasing by the minute. Soon not even sticking her in an industrial furnace is gonna help."

Asami paled. "How soon?"

He shrugged with a blank look. "Hours? Days? Hard to tell, but…" Eddie gave them all a mournful look. "I'd start saying my goodbyes if I were you."

Barry's mouth opened and closed soundlessly a few times, Firestorm sending a glare at the wall, the rest all fighting back tears.

"So that's it?" Barry asked harshly. "We just…accept this? Just let her go, after everything?"

Eddie gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Bear. I wish there was something I could do, something _any_ of us could do. Maybe, if we'd gotten to her sooner…" He shrugged. "But we didn't." He looked over at Firestorm. "I'm sorry."

The room was completely silent for a full minute before Korra spoke up. "Someone needs to tell her."

"I will," Firestorm said brokenly, his features twisted in grief. "I owe Ronald that much."

Asami nodded and resumed staring at the ground. "We'll keep her comfortable, as much as possible, until…"

Korra put a hand on her shoulder, Barry the other, both holding her tightly.

As the hybrid stepped into Caitlin's room, they watched him crouch by her side and hold her frozen hands in his flaming ones. They watched as tears slid partway down her face only to freeze on her cheeks as she stared at him blankly, then nodded in resignation. A minute later, and Barry couldn't watch anymore. He stood and headed for the stairwell, pacing as his hands pulled at his hair.

"Barry," a soft voice said from the door. "Barry," she repeated firmly.

He stopped and faced his girlfriend, tears sliding down his own face.

She approached him slowly, hands taking his. "I know…I know what you're feeling. This isn't your fault. It's _his_ , it's all on him."

"He wouldn't have gone after her if she didn't know me."

Korra's head shook slowly. "That's not true. He took her because she was looking for Ronnie. That would've happened with or without you. Take responsibility for _your_ actions, but don't burden yourself with the weight of others."

He looked at her blankly for a few seconds, sensing another meaning behind her words.

"Live…while you _can_. Don't hold back."

Barry stared into her eyes, looking behind them as her intent finally dawned on him. He gave her a slow nod, then pulled away and walked down the stairs to exit the building. Thirty minutes were spent running around the city, just to run, trying desperately to clear his head of all the depression and melancholy before he did what needed to be done. Another ten minutes were spent running over to Asami's and grabbing a duffel and a change of clothes. The last twenty minutes of the hour were spent working up the courage to walk into hell.

Keys jingled in his hands as he closed the door of his former residence, stepping inside and seeing file after file littering the couches and floor of Mako's apartment.

"Mako?" he called softly. "I know you're here. Checked by the station, and you weren't there." He hesitated, moving toward the bedrooms. "I know things haven't been good between us, and I know you said you needed time and space, but…I just had…the worst possible day, and I didn't know who else to—"

A loud whir reached his ears, stopping his speech and turning his head toward his closed bedroom door. Eyes narrowing, duffel in hand, he strode toward the door, turning the knob and pulling it open in one movement. Ice-blue eyes widened to their max as he gaped at the scene in his old room. The crime board laid against the wall, article after picture after case file taped to its surface. Empty coffee mugs strewn about, almost a dozen in all. Mako, standing ramrod straight, eyes and mouth wide open as he stared at the wall.

The Reverse-Flash, standing with his arm through Mako's chest.

Barry stared at them paralyzed for several seconds as wet gurgles came from the detective's throat. The Reverse-Flash yanked his arm loose with a whir, Mako collapsing to the floor in a rapidly expanding pool of blood, eyes frozen open and staring into infinity, his body unmoving. Dead. Barry stared at his lifeless corpse for several seconds before his eyes moved upward, a pair of glowing red ones meeting them as everything clicked into place in his head.

"Mako," he whispered shakily, grief and shock warring with a dozen other powerful emotions.

As his right hand clenched into a fist, rage finally won out.

"Mako," he growled, lightning sparking in his eyes.

The Reverse-Flash seemed to understand in that second, because an instant later, he stormed through the bedroom window, glass and wood shattering as he exited. Barry shot right behind him, the duffel torn open and his suit donned in less than a second as he hit the ground, the cowl pulled over his features as his eyes locked onto the murderer's lightning trail.

The furious speedster chased his quarry from one street to the next, every turn slowing him down barely a single mph, but just enough for the Reverse-Flash to increase his lead. Pushing himself, Barry managed to begin closing the gap, his legs going numb at the rate of acceleration he was forcing them to achieve. The Flash's right arm reached out as he closed in on the Reverse-Flash, the tips of his fingers just brushing the back of his suit when he heard a distorted laugh—and the man in yellow dashed away at a speed nearly twice his own. Ice-blue eyes widened to their max as he stared at the rapidly vanishing lightning trail.

And then his jaw clenched, body shaking in rage. _First my parents, then Caitlin, now Mako…you don't_ get _to walk away!_ The shaking increased, as did his speed, until the sound barrier broke and he began moving past it. _Not this time._

Anger fed every cell in his body, charging him to power levels he'd never _dreamed_ of as he kept track of the red lightning ahead of him. Windows shattered in his wake, cars pushed into the curb and each other by the wind shear moving off his blurred form. The Reverse-Flash steadily became bigger in his vision as he kept running, the whole world except him fading to a gray blur. Fury built in his chest as he sped toward the man in yellow, the faces of his lost friends and family flashing in his mind's eye as he cocked his right fist back.

A roar came from his throat as he threw the punch, seeing the Reverse-Flash glance back just long enough to see genuine fear on his blurred features.

And then he was gone.

A loud, explosive noise pierced the air as Barry pitched forward with the momentum of his blow, righting himself just in time to stay upright. Blinking rapidly, he glanced around several times as he kept running, seeing only a gray blur tinged with streaks of blue. Slowly but surely, it faded into the shape of passing buildings as his pace slowly decreased, and he looked to his left a moment later. His eyes widened when he saw the Flash staring back confusedly, blinking several times and shaking his head as he skidded to a stop—in the middle of a crowded intersection.

Barry's head snapped in several directions as a profound and alarming sense of _déjà vu_ hit him. He let out several rapid breaths, his jaw hanging open as he spotted a woman yelling at a passing taxi about her impending tardiness, heard a car honking at a pedestrian in the middle of a crosswalk. His eyes blinked rapidly, head shaking again to try and clear his head, rectify exactly what he was seeing to the realm of possibility. When the truth finally dawned on him, he could only stare blankly at the intersection.

"Oh boy…"

* * *

AN: I'm still alive! Which is good news, because we're finally entering the final stages of Act I, the climax of which is gonna be awesome. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to seeing what happens when Barry inadvertently restarts his day. This is supposed to be a happy fic, so trust me when I say that all this heavy stuff is not gonna be sticking around.

Look for a new chapter soon.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Catch Me If You Can: 1:30-end—coming home/time-jump to end of chapter


	26. Reverted

Reverted (adj.): to be returned to a previous state, condition, or practice; to take a step back.

Republic City

10 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Barry, you okay?"

The Flash stared at the intersection for another couple of seconds before finally registering the question. "Huh? What?" He put a finger to his earpiece. "Y-Yeah, I think I'm…think I'm okay." He let several deep breaths out slowly, rubbing his gloved thumbs over his eyes as his circumstances started to click into place.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, Cisco, I'm good. On my way to the location now."

With another exhaled breath, the Flash took off toward the Sato Estate, booking it as his mind raced at a thousand miles an hour, reeling from the implications of what had just happened. _Was all that just a dream? A vision?_ Whatever the case, when he arrived at the workshop, he found the lever and yanked it, finding the exact same scuff marks and displaced dust as before, an eerie feeling in his gut as he stared into the black abyss. His right index slowly rose to his ear.

"Hey guys," he began numbly, "you getting here any time soon?"

Immediately, he turned toward the door, unsurprised to see Korra kick it open with a smirk on her face, the rest of the team plus Firestorm in tow. He blinked several times, then lifted his arm to the hole.

"He's definitely been down there. Just don't—" His eyes widened slightly, vision flashing to an image of a violently shivering Caitlin. The blood drained from his face as he stumbled back into a crate.

Korra's hand gripped his arm firmly, her face twisted in a concerned frown. "Barry, you okay?"

He blinked rapidly to clear the mental image, then dragged his eyes up to hers. "Y-Yeah…just…I don't think I ate enough before I came."

Asami shot him a frown. "Not a good time to be low on energy."

Barry shook his head hard, expression grim. "I'll be fine. We don't have time for a snack."

"This is the place," Firestorm growled off to the side, staring down into the hole.

Asami looked over at him. "You sure?"

He nodded grimly. "Smells the same, like a crypt coated in—"

"Dying leaves," Barry finished.

The hybrid looked over at him in surprise, then nodded slowly.

Korra snorted as they proceeded into the elevator below, the machine taking them further underground. "Definitely _feels_ like one. Asami, why haven't you touched this place at all?"

The woman frowned and stared at one of the passing walls, leaning against a rail. "Too many memories. Too many emotions." Her knuckles whitened around the rail. "I'd hoped I'd never have to see it again, after I had the entrance sealed up."

Korra put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, Barry walking up alongside her.

He opened his mouth, but closed it a moment later, not knowing the answer to the question on his mind but knowing he wouldn't get an answer. So instead, he just looped an arm around her shoulders, getting a grateful smile in return.

"So," Cisco said suddenly, interrupting the nervous silence. "Ronnie—I mean, Martin."

He chuckled. "It's all right, son. Common mistake to make, consider you can only see with your eyes."

The engineer gave him a strange look, then shook his head slightly. "Anyway, I was thinking..." He motioned to Barry. "He's the Flash." A wave at Korra. "She's the Avatar. What should we call you?"

Martin arched an eyebrow at him.

Cisco chuckled nervously. "I mean, no offense, but Martin isn't exactly a badass codename, if you get what I mean."

"And if you consider the fact that I'm...more than just me at the moment, it doesn't quite fit."

"So, I was thinking maybe...Flameburst?"

Barry tensed, getting Asami's attention.

Cisco continued at the silence. "Whitefire? Ya know, 'cause of your eyes?"

Martin bit on his lower lip to restrain his laughter.

"The Burning Man?"

Asami let out a small snort and shook her head slowly.

Cisco's eyes rolled as he sighed. "Oh, come on. Fine, that one's a little on the nose, but seriously, this is important. Every metahuman we've come across so far has gotten a codename, and since this one's actually on _our_ side, for once—"

"How about…"

"Firestorm?" Barry and Korra asked in tandem.

Three pairs of eyes drifted from one metahuman to the other, Korra looking over at her boyfriend as Cisco's face split into a grin. "I like it," the dark-skinned man drawled geekily.

Martin's head cocked as he thought it over. He shrugged after a few seconds. "It does have a certain ring to it. Firestorm it is." His white eyes locked onto Barry after a few moments, narrowing at the speedster with intense interest as the elevator ground to a stop.

When they stepped off, the hiss of released air reached their ears. Three turned toward the source, seeing Cisco with an opened bottle of orange soda.

Korra lifted her hands in an incredulous shrug. "Cisco. What the hell?"

He shot her a look. "What? Liquid acts funny around the Reverse-Flash when he's using his speed. I figure if this stuff starts levitating, he's nearby. Give us some—"

"Early warning," Barry interrupted, that eerily unsettling feeling of déjà vu even worse than when he'd arrived at that intersection.

Cisco gave him a strange look. "Yeah. Exactly."

As they proceeded inside, Asami and Korra took the front, Barry still disoriented from the incredibly strange experience as the women kept Cisco behind them. A warm hand latched onto Barry's arm, pulling him to the side with a tense air. The speedster came face-to-face with Firestorm, who was staring into his eyes hard.

"What?" Barry asked innocently.

"I know what's happening with you."

The Flash gave him a confused look.

"You're experiencing temporal reversion."

Barry blinked rapidly. "What now?"

He sighed. "It's a term I coined to…sort of describe the condition someone would experience." Firestorm leaned closer. "If they were to go back in time."

The speedster inhaled rapidly, his face draining of blood. "So you _do_ know what's happening to me."

Firestorm nodded, about to say more when Korra called Barry's name.

"Come on!" she shouted, waving toward the structure ahead.

Barry nodded and grabbed the hybrid's arm, speeding him toward the group and taking position at the rear as they proceeded toward the maze.

"When did this happen?" Firestorm whispered.

The Flash's lips pursed. "Tomorrow evening, less than twenty-four hours from now."

"Good. That's good."

He looked over at the hybrid. "Why?"

"Because it means you couldn't have messed up much."

He blinked hard. "Messed up?"

Firestorm nodded slowly, still walking as his eyes scanned the hallways, expression grim. "Everything happens for a reason, Barry."

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"By every indication, the universe has a specific way of proceeding, a specific plan. Any deviations to that plan can have dangerous consequences."

"But…Caitlin—"

"Don't!" Firestorm whispered harshly, rounding on him. "I don't want to know _anything_ about this future you saw. You need to do everything you did before _exactly_ the same. Every word you utter, every action you take. The same. Understand?"

Barry gaped at him, eyes wide as memories flashed through his head, one of his former apartment rising to the top: Mako, a gloved hand through his chest before he collapsed to the floor. His expression sharpened as he looked back to Firestorm. "I can't do that."

Firestorm's eye twitched. "What?"

Barry leaned toward him and hissed his words out. "I. Can't. Do. That."

"You _have_ to," he insisted. "The damage you could do to the space-time continuum—"

"Is unconfirmed," Barry interrupted. "Isn't it?"

They kept walking, both silent for a few moments.

"I mean," Barry began, "you've never _actually_ had someone go back in time before, have you? So you'd never be able to tell, right? _Right_?"

Firestorm's lips pursed as he looked away. "While you have a point, every indication in records, tests, every theory and postulate points to irreparable damage if any deviation were to occur."

"But you don't _know_ , do you?"

A moment's hesitation. "No. But Barry…you can't change the future. You _can't_. On the offchance that I'm right, you could create a paradox of time and space. You cannot change the future," he insisted.

Barry caught his arm and turned him, expression fierce. "I _can_ ," he replied sharply, leaning toward him. "And if any part of you loves Caitlin…you'll let me."

Firestorm's jaw dropped slightly at the haunted look in his eyes, the hybrid stunned into silence as Barry walked after the rest of the group. The firebender rejoined them a few seconds later, and they came to the crossroads not long after, Barry's jaw tightening.

"Guys—"

They all turned to Cisco, each spotting the floating orange liquid above his bottle. Barry stared at it for a few moments as the engineer was pulled into the center of their box, the liquid falling back into his bottle a moment later. The Flash looked into Asami's side of the crossroads, pressing his lips together as Firestorm's words flowed through his head.

 _Any deviations…can have dangerous consequences._

His ice-blue eyes narrowed as the first hints of movement reached his consciousness. His legs moved a moment later, his red-clad body intercepting a yellow one as both hands shoved the Reverse-Flash back-first into a wall. The other speedster's blurred expression radiated surprise, but he quickly adapted, leaping off the wall and running counterclockwise around the group, the Flash in close pursuit. Barry snapped out a punch when he leapt from above, the blow countered when he turned mid-step and hooked him in the jaw.

The Flash snarled and came back with a vengeance, tackling the Reverse-Flash past a gaping Firestorm. The speedster slipped from his grasp and grappled with Barry, tossing him into a wall as Korra deployed two whips, one metal, one water. He dodged both, snatching up Cisco's bottle and chucking it at the back of Barry's head. The Flash, expecting it, snapped his head to the side as he scrambled to his feet, springing off the wall and leaping for his opponent. Instead, he dodged to the side, sending Barry tackling Asami to the ground. Whispering a rapid apology, he pushed himself upright and sped off after the Reverse-Flash.

When Barry made to swing at him again, the ground beneath him launched upward, Korra cursing under her breath and firing another cable at her true target. The cord was grabbed from the air and yanked, pulling the Avatar into Firestorm before he could pull off a shot. The Reverse-Flash cast one look at the group before breaking off down a hallway. Biting his cheek, Barry engaged in pursuit. Once or twice, Barry got close enough to take a swing, but like before, every time he either dodged or smacked the blow away.

That is, until a memory-driven burst of adrenaline filled the Flash's system, and he felt his legs take on an extra burst of speed—just enough to allow him to tackle the speedster into a wall. The Reverse-Flash hit the metal with a resounding thud, chest-first, only staying there for a split-second before he whirled around in Barry's grasp, his elbow shooting out toward the Flash's head. The bony appendage impacted his palm solidly, and Barry twisted it aside before returning with a few blows of his own.

With every passing microsecond, Barry's confidence increased, the Reverse-Flash's movements already known to him. All the same, the enemy speedster's reflexes were still faster than his, and he managed to avoid getting hit as easily as Barry—until the moves he'd memorized started to run out. An uppercut snapped past the Flash's head, and he brought his forehead back down and forward into the other speedster's face—hard. A resounding crack filled the hallway as the Reverse-Flash stumbled back a step, then zipped behind him and twisted one arm behind his back painfully, slamming him face-first against the wall.

"You've been practicing since our last encounter," his unnatural voice remarked.

Barry smirked. "What can I say?" he hissed painfully. "I have a remarkably hard head."

The Flash was spun around, his forearm coming up to block the incoming punch when the Reverse-Flash swung at him mid-spin, a countering hook delivered to the side of his jaw at over eighty miles an hour. The Reverse-Flash's body hit the wall, and he dragged a hand over his jaw in surprise, looking back up at Barry as the fastest man alive grinned at him malevolently. Red eyes narrowed before their owner took off once again, Barry chasing after him for several turns before skidding to a stop. To no surprise of his, the Reverse-Flash stopped a moment later, just in sight.

"Well, Flash?" he taunted. "What are you waiting for?"

Barry's jaw tightened, lips pursing hard. _I need to force him to break line of sight, or I'll lose Caitlin. I know the way out of here. If I chase after him, I can still get to her before he does._ He snarled and took off again, chasing the speedster through one hall after the next until they came to the dead end. And then he pushed himself, just barely managing to close the distance in time to cock his hand back and swing, earlier than last time. His fist met empty air as the Reverse-Flash ducked and sped toward the wall, phasing through as expected.

Instead of talking or waiting, however, Barry took off on the exact route he'd taken before, managing to catch up to the rest of the team in just over a minute, right as they went through the wheel-locked door.

Korra's head snapped over to him. "Barry. What happened?"

He shrugged. "Led me on a wild goose chase, then phased through a wall. Almost had him, too."

Korra frowned, but nodded. "Now that he's on the lam, we gotta get to Caitlin before he does."

Just then, a low moan split the air, in a voice that all present recognized.

Barry nodded. "I'm on it."

He sped past the group's protests, running toward the exact room he'd found Korra the last time through, only finding a single shivering, barefoot woman curled up into a ball.

"Caitlin," he said softly, trying to get her attention. When she didn't respond, he pursed his lips and moved closer, putting a hand on her arm. He put the other to his ear. "I found Caitlin. I'm gonna get her out of here."

"What?!" Korra asked wildly. "What makes you think you can outrun—"

"It's not about outrunning him. It's about distracting him." Barry glanced around. "Something tells me he didn't expect me to memorize every turn he took me on in the maze. I can get her out, before he even knows she's gone. I just need you guys to distract him if he does show up."

A moment's pause lasted before Asami's voice drifted over the radio. "All right, Bear. Make it fast."

He grinned. "You know it, sister."

Gently, the speedster rolled Caitlin onto her back, staring down into those haunted, pale blue irises as his hands vibrated rapidly against her skin, warming her a bit. The effects were noticeable almost immediately, her skin's pallor fading to a much greater degree than the last time he'd tried this, her body almost feeling normal in temperature after just ten seconds of treatment. Pursing his lips, he decided that would be enough and picked her up off the bed.

"Put your arms around my neck," he whispered.

She sluggishly obeyed, burying her face in his shoulder. "Barry?" she breathed.

"That's right, Cate. Shh. It's gonna be over soon, I promise."

"I'm cold, Barry."

"I know. But not for long." His mouth went dry as the image of her slowly freezing to death played over and over in his head. His teeth clenched. "I swear it."

And with that, the Scarlet Speedster took off the way he came, weaving through the maze and reaching the exit in less than two minutes. By the minute and a half mark, however, the radio came alive with loud chatter, and he was forced to turn it off to concentrate on running. Just under six minutes later, he reached the airfield without incident, and turned on the control center's radio after setting Cate up in the medical room and turning up the heat, which took him another five minutes.

"Hey guys." No answer came except static. "Guys? You okay?" Panic started to set in as the seconds dragged to minutes with no answer. Torn between sprinting back to the complex and guarding Caitlin, he paced in the command center for another six minutes before marching for the door.

Only to have it swing open in his face, the entire team, battered and bruised, stumbling through. When he looked between them all questioningly, gaping at their state, Asami held up a broken radio. Barry nodded grimly, noting how Firestorm was walking with a limp, but refused Korra's help.

"What happened out there?" he asked finally.

The team looked back at him, Cisco slumping sullenly into his chair. Korra eventually answered.

"You were right. He showed up about a minute after you left, streaked right past us, as if he knew you were going for her. And then…he came back toward the exit. We held him off, long as we could. Cisco barred the entrance from the outside while we fought him inside, but…we didn't last long." She snorted. "Not that we were expected to."

"But…he didn't hurt any of you, did he? Not seriously, anyway."

They all looked at each other, Asami shaking her head in answer.

A relieved sigh whooshed from Barry's lungs before he noticed Firestorm perched at the entrance to the medical room. "You can go in, you know. In fact…I think it'll help."

He looked back at the speedster and pursed his lips, then nodded firmly and entered.

"I'm gonna go get Eddie," Barry said. "Someone needs to take a look at her." He brushed a thumb over Korra's bruised jaw. "And you."

She smiled at him and cupped his hand. "I'm fine. Been through worse."

Barry frowned and leaned toward her, turning her head to the side when she tried to kiss him and vibrating his own as his lips touched down on her jaw. Within seconds, the bruise was gone, and Korra was pouting.

"Showoff," she muttered.

He grinned a little, then sped out the door, returning with the professor a few minutes later. Eddie's expression was much more grim as he disengaged from Barry and pushed his way into the medical room, nodding to Firestorm. Barry let out a long sigh, walking over to Cisco's station and looking down at the uncharacteristically quiet engineer concernedly.

"Hey," he greeted softly, tapping Cisco's shoulder. "You okay?"

He looked up at Barry briefly, then down again, nodding. "Yeah…tired." He ran his hands through his dark hair. "Just can't wait for all this to be over."

Barry grasped his shoulder. "You and me both, buddy."

Cisco turned toward the window of the med center, staring at Eddie with worried eyes. "You think she'll be okay?"

Barry's lips pursed as he looked at them. "Fingers crossed. Other than Cate, Eddie's the best doctor I know. If anyone can figure this out, it's him." _And if we still didn't get to her soon enough, I'll find a way to replicate that jump, go back further. I have to._

Firestorm gave Cate a reassuring smile, then walked out and toward the suit storage room. Frowning, Barry walked over to him and tapped his shoulder.

"Something wrong?"

The hybrid waited a moment, then turned to Barry with a grim expression. "Yeah. You changed things, didn't you?"

"Look—"

"You ruptured the time-space barrier and, using your knowledge of the future, you shifted the course of fate. You _meddled_ with something you don't understand."

Barry stared at him, affronted. "No, _you_ don't understand." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "The last time I lived through this day, we didn't get Caitlin back until late _tomorrow_ , and by then it was too late for her." He stared at the paling hybrid. "She was dying…and there was nothing we could do to save her." At Firestorm's silence, he huffed a bitter laugh. "And what's more, right after I found _that_ out, I watched my best friend—" His eyes widened dramatically, voice lowering to a whisper. "Mako."

Firestorm caught his arm before he took off. "Just remember, Barry. The universe has a way of ordering things. Whatever tragedy you _think_ you've avoided…time will find a way to replace it. And trust me, whatever that is…could be even worse."

Barry's lips pursed, and he fought back the urge to yell, instead letting out a deep breath and nodding. "I'll keep it in mind. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a fence to mend."

He was gone a moment later.

…

10 minutes later

Police HQ, Republic City

A pair of amber eyes scanned over an address registry a third time, the sheet containing the locations then folded and tucked into the back pocket of its owner as he turned for the door. His hand made it halfway to the knob before it swung open, a massive draft entering the records room along with a familiar jacketed young man.

Mako's eyes widened in surprise briefly before his expression turned to one of suspicion. "Barry," he said flatly. "What are you doing here?"

The speedster gave him a blank look. "I _work_ here, remember?"

The detective glanced at the clock and crossed his arms. "Not at _this_ time of night."

Barry sighed hard and closed his eyes briefly. "Look, I'm not looking for a fight. Just hear me out."

Mako tilted his head in assent.

Barry's lips pursed as he considered his next words very carefully. "I stopped by the apartment earlier today.

Panic played in Mako's eyes for a moment.

The speedster lifted his hands calmingly. "I forgot something from my room," he lied smoothly, "and when I moved out, you didn't exactly take the key." Ice-blue eyes bore into amber ones. "I saw the board, Mako."

The detective looked away, his expression painfully neutral.

"I know what you're trying to do," he breathed, "the articles, the case files, every location and person you've investigated—and I appreciate it, I do." He took a long breath, forming his next sentence. "But you never had to do all that, at least not on your own."

Mako barely glanced at him, remaining silent.

"Mako…our friendship was never a trade, not to me."

The detective looked at him in confusion.

"You once apologized to me for not catching the Reverse-Flash, that you knew bringing him down would bring me peace. But Mako…you never had to _buy_ our friendship, any of it. What I give, I give freely, no catches, no strings." He chuckled. "And yeah, we may have our spats from time to time, but what best friends don't?" Another deep breath. "Mako…I'm sorry for the way things have been going these past couple of weeks, sorry that I got infected and lost control, sorry I lied to you in the first place." He exhaled hard. "And I'm sorry I didn't fight harder to keep our friendship strong."

Barry held out his hand. "Can we get past all that and start over…please?"

Mako looked down at the appendage, lips parted slightly, then back up at Barry's earnest expression, and sighed hard. "Damn it, Allen." His lips curved against his will. "Why do you always have to be so innocent?"

Barry looked at him confusedly.

Mako grabbed his hand and shook it hard. "Couldn't stay mad at you if I tried…and trust me, these past couple of weeks, I have."

The speedster laughed loudly in relief, closing his eyes and reveling in the feeling of holding Mako's hand, warm and firm and _alive_. A bloody floor flashed through his vision, and his eyes snapped open, fear still lacing them as he scanned Mako for any injuries, making sure he was still whole.

"Barry," Mako said softly, "you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…just got a bad feeling for a second." His head shook to clear out the visions, then looked back up at his friend. "I need to show you something. You got a few minutes to spare?"

The detective patted his pocket, making sure the registry was still there, then shrugged. "Yeah. Everything else can wait. Truth be told…I need the break."

Barry gave him a once-over. "Yeah…don't take this the wrong way, man, but you look like hammered crap."

Mako couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair. "S'about how I feel. _Spirits_ , I need a nap."

Barry laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "In another half hour, you'll get it." He grabbed his arms. "Just hold on tight."

Mako nodded once, then gasped loudly as he felt his body sped out of the station at inhuman speeds. The city lights blurred by him in streaks of gold and silver, the buildings little more than hazy shapes on the edges of his consciousness.

"Whoa," he breathed, jaw on the rapidly moving ground until he glanced up to see his friend's grinning face.

Less than three minutes after they'd left, the pair came to an abrupt stop, Mako taking a few seconds to realize where he was. Amber eyes widened.

"Wait…this…this is where you took her, isn't it?" He looked over at Barry. "That day, ten months ago…you brought her here."

Barry nodded. "I was trying to remind her that she's not alone. That no matter how hopeless it seemed, there would always be someone willing and eager to have her back, even a complete stranger." He looked over at Mako. "And now I'm saying the same to you."

Mako arched an eyebrow. "Huh?"

The speedster took a step toward him, the beam of the lighthouse casting a white aura around his body. "Your investigation, your fight against the Reverse-Flash, it's _my_ fight too. And Korra's, and Asami's, and Lin's."

"And I was going to take my findings to all of you the moment I was done."

Barry's head shook hard as he approached him, his tone hardening. "No, you don't _get_ it. Everyone who has _ever_ gone up against the Reverse-Flash has ended up damaged or dead. _Everyone_. My parents, Lin…Caitlin."

Mako's eyes widened. "Whoa, what? What happened to Caitlin?"

Barry's head shook. "She's messed up, man. It's bad, don't know how bad just yet, but…Eddie's with her right now. Trying to make sense of her condition. The bottom line is…" He grabbed Mako's arms firmly. "I. Can't. Lose you. Can't lose anyone. I'm not strong enough." He looked down and away. "There's only so much a man can take…"

Mako stared at him for a few seconds before sighing hard. "You're right. I mean…I've been plenty careful, trying to stay under the radar, keep him from finding out I'm looking for him, but…with everything he's done, I should know he has ways of learning these things. If he doesn't already know."

"And that's what I'm worried about. If he _does_ know, and chances are good of that being the case, then you've put a massive target on your back—" he jabbed a finger into Mako's chest, "—with no backup."

Mako huffed and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah…kinda stupid of me, right?"

Barry rolled his eyes and sighed. "Intensely, but we'll talk about it, okay?"

The firebender nodded slowly. "Yeah. Okay. Talking's good."

Barry smiled and nodded once. "Home?"

Mako huffed a laugh. "Where's that?"

The speedster shrugged. "For me? Wherever my new family is." He smiled sadly. "Getting kicked out of the apartment was never a problem. Getting kicked out of your life _was_."

The detective frowned and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Don't sweat it," Barry said, slapping him on the shoulder. "Pointless beating yourself up about the past."

"Yeah," he replied quietly, a bitter smile on his face, "not like you can change it anyway."

Barry's features darkened by a degree. "Right. Anyway, we should get going. I need to get you to a bed."

Mako laughed and nodded, scrubbing his palms over his eyes. "Whenever you're reeeeeeaa—!"

Barry couldn't help but laugh the whole way down as Mako's terrified expression was permanently burned into his memory.

…

20 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

Korra's head rose from her palm as Eddie exited the medical room, her body following not long after as the whole room clustered around the professor. "How is she?"

Eddie looked at them all in turn, a small smile coming to his face as he nodded slowly. "Resting. And she needs to stay that way. By all indications, her…condition is exacerbated by stress, and being around familiar people has helped to ease that." He nodded at Firestorm. "Especially you, Mr. Raymond."

The hybrid sighed and rolled his eyes. "For the last time, I am _not_ Ronnie."

Eddie just chuckled and checked over a clipboard. "Otherwise, she's in excellent health, so as long as we keep her in a low-stress environment, around room temperature, she should be fine."

Asami and Korra exchanged a look, the former speaking up. "I guess that means we should ship her out to the Fire Nation then, because stress-free is just about the last thing she'll be here."

Eddie shrugged. "Or maybe just keep her off the team for a while, at least until we get a better sense of just what he did to her. Send her home with an escort, someone who can make sure she's getting what she needs." His eyes drifted pointedly over to Firestorm.

He sighed hard and rolled his eyes. "For Ravva's sake, man, I'm not _actually_ her fiancé."

"No, but she responds better to _you_ than anyone else," Asami replied, a wry smile coming to her face. "And no matter how much you try to deny it, that bedside manner of yours was _not_ all an act."

Firestorm leveled her with a glare, slowly turning his gaze to the medical room's door. "Maybe…some part of Ronald still lives inside me, but that's all him, not me, so why is it my responsibility to take care of _his_ woman?"

Korra approached him, putting an arm on his shoulder. "Let me put it this way: if your positions were reversed, if you had someone you cared about but couldn't look after them, wouldn't you want someone to? Someone you're connected to? Someone you know, and can trust?" She tapped his forehead. "And you have his memories, don't you? Or, some of them, at least."

Firestorm frowned and stared at the ground, sighing hard. "Oh, it's not as if I have anything better to do. Fine. I'll take her home."

Korra smiled and clapped him on the back. "Good." She pushed him toward the door. "Now get going, loverboy."

He shot a fierce glare in her direction, which instantly vanished the moment he opened the door. "Uh, guys? Is there supposed to be a section of the wall missing?"

Alarm shot through all present as they rushed into the room, coming up short when they saw cold steam curling off a hole in a far wall that led to a stairwell. The team all looked over at Eddie.

"What?" he asked.

Firestorm grabbed him by the collar. "You said her condition was _stable_ , that there was no danger as long as we kept her warm!"

"Then maybe _that's_ the problem," Korra interrupted, pointing to the air vents inside the room. "Is it just me, or can I see my own breath right now?"

Eddie's eyes widened. "Someone sabotaged the heating system in this room."

Korra's lips curled into a snarl. " _Him_. He was _here_. He _wanted_ her to escape, but why?"

Asami's eyes widened. "She _needs_ heat. At an excessive amount. What are some of the most common sources of heat?"

"Cars?" Cisco guessed.

Korra's expression turned to one of horror. "People. The colder she gets, the more heat she needs. By the time she reaches the city—"

"She'll be cold enough to sap all the heat from anyone she touches," Firestorm finished. "We have to find her, _now_!"

A massive gust of wind entered the command center, two figures coming through the door of the med center a moment later. The alarm thrumming through Korra's system was briefly replaced by the shock of seeing Mako standing side-by-side with Barry before it returned threefold, the expression on both their faces only reinforcing her feelings.

"What happened?" Barry asked finally.

"It's Caitlin," Eddie answered. "We think the Reverse-Flash slipped in and sabotaged the med center's heating system, cooled things down enough that she decided to bail."

Barry cursed under his breath, pacing side-to-side as Korra's eyes slowly drifted over to Mako.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she asked the detective.

The firebender sighed hard. "It's a long story. Short version is: I was investigating the Reverse-Flash independently, without anyone's knowledge. Barry found out and confronted me about it, we made up and went back to my apartment so I could get some shut-eye only to find out that every scrap of research I had was _gone_."

Ocean blue eyes widened. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

"Gone," Barry explained, "as in vanished, without a trace." He glanced over at the hole. "The Reverse-Flash took everything."

"But he hasn't taken Caitlin," Firestorm interrupted, heading for the exit. "Not yet."

Barry was gone for a second, the Flash returning a moment later. "Let's go. About how long was she alone?"

"Couldn't have been more than five minutes," Eddie said.

"Then she couldn't have gotten far." He sped out the door, a full ten seconds passing before he returned. "Unless she took one of the cars, which she did."

Korra frowned deeply, heading for the door. "I'm surprised she can even operate the controls in her condition."

"Desperation can give people unimaginable strength," Asami remarked as they piled into the ASAALT. "The real question is how we're gonna find her. If she took one of the vehicles, she could be anywhere in the city by now, and not even Barry can search every square inch in time to stop her."

"I can cross-check the police bands," Mako volunteered as he took a seat next to Korra. "Reports of disturbances are the only way I can think to track her down, since it's not like she's gonna throw up a beacon in the sky."

Just then, a distant police airship turned on its floodlight, right in the middle of the city's residential district.

The group stared at it as one for a few seconds before Mako shrugged. "Well okay then."

Barry turned toward the vehicle. "I'll go ahead of you guys, see if I can find her."

"I'll go with you," Firestorm said, making to exit.

"Ah…that's not a good idea," Asami said. "The last thing we need is a giant matchstick attracting attention to an already fragile situation."

Looking not at all amused or placated, Firestorm nonetheless sat back down.

Korra put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go. That way Barry has some backup at least."

The hybrid nodded in reply, spurring both metahumans to take off, one on the ground, the other in the sky. Against Korra's almost immediate protests, Barry went ahead of her, streaking down the mountain and entering the city in less than a minute.

…

The streets were reduced to an indistinct blur in the wake of Barry's movement, his whole focus on reaching Caitlin before something happened. _This is wrong. She was supposed to be fine, I was supposed to save her. I_ did _save her!_ His teeth gritted hard as he increased his speed further, the floodlight within a few blocks just seconds later.

"Ma'am, just calm down."

"Stop!"

Two metalbending cops flew back screaming as their armor was flash-frozen and they were catapulted into a brick wall. Barry rushed over to them, crouching by their shivering bodies.

"What happened?" he asked them.

One, a woman, looked up at the Flash and pointed in the direction of her attacker. "A woman…but some kind of freak. She…she killed one of the patrons." A nod to a pasty-white man at the far end of an outdoor restaurant. "Froze him solid with a touch." Her head shook violently. "Her skin was encased in this…frost. I've never seen anything like it. It's like…everything she touched turned to ice, like her touch was an instant cold snap."

Barry's lips pursed hard. "Where did she go?"

The cop pointed toward the back of the restaurant.

"I'll find her. You get these people to safety."

They nodded in tandem. "You got it, Flash."

Barry was gone the next second, a crowded street greeting him as he skidded to a stop. Time slowed around him as he started running again, scanning every face of every woman trying to find Cate. Eventually, he just had to follow the screams. He saw the ice before its source, two cars frozen over and dented, the side of impact pointing to a woman desperately holding onto a far larger man.

"Caitlin!" Barry yelled, charging for her and breaking her grip as he shoved her to the ground.

The icebender slowly pushed herself upright, her pale blue eyes burning with desperation. "You don't understand—"

"But I do, Cate," he interrupted, glancing around to see the street emptying of civilians. "I know what you're going through. What you're feeling. You're terrified. Terrified that whatever's happening to you is permanent, that you're never going to be you again. I _know_ you don't want to hurt anyone, but if you keep going like this, that's all you're going to do."

Her breathing became labored as her eyes cast about wildly, finally settling onto the speedster. "Barry," she whispered. "What's happening to me?"

He held his hands up nonthreateningly, approaching her step by step. "I don't know. But we can figure this out if you come with me. I can have Eddie run some tests, see if there's a cure."

Cate's coldly steaming hands slowly lowered as she nodded. "I just want to go ho—"

She was cut off when a police floodlight lit the square up, the harsh voice of Lin Beifong coming over the airship's loudspeaker. "This is the police. Put your hands on your head and get down on the ground, _now_!"

Three metalbending cops descended from the airship, forming a triangle around Caitlin, with the Flash on the outside.

"No, stop!" he yelled.

Confused, they glanced at him, Cate looking at each of them in turn, her hands beginning to frost over again.

"It's not her fault!" Barry insisted. "She can't control it!" He slapped his earpiece, tuning it to Lin's frequency. "Chief, you have to stand your men down, _now_! The perp is Caitlin!"

His earpiece buzzed with static for a moment before Lin's irate voice carried from the other end. "What?!"

"It's a long story. Bottom line, the Reverse-Flash captured and experimented on her, and now she needs a constant supply of heat to stay alive. We don't know how it happened or how to fix it, but if you don't pull your men back, they could die."

"…I feel for Caitlin, Barry, I do, but she's already killed a man and injured two of my officers. I can't just let her go. We can run all the tests you want once she's in custody."

His head shook violently. "No, Chief, you don't understand—"

Caitlin shrieked as the officers drew closer, her open palms slamming into the ground and sending ice spikes growing in every direction. Two cops withdrew in time, but the third was blown back when the sheer force of impact cracked his chestplate in half.

"Listen to me, Barry," Lin said. "For the safety of the public and her own, you need to take her down."

His heart wrenched as his fist clenched. "It's not her fault," he insisted. "He did this to her. She can't control it."

"Be that as it may, the public will _not_ be safe until she's off the streets."

The two remaining cops threw cables at Caitlin's arms, but the icebender threw up sheets of frost that brittlized and shattered the metal before impact. She cast more cascades of frost, the very air dropping several dozen degrees as an ice wall formed between her and the police.

"She's not fighting," Barry whispered. His hand went to his earpiece. "She's not fighting back, Lin! She's just defending herself, trying to keep them away! If she sees me coming, a familiar face, I can get her to stand down, just pull your men back!"

"You better be right about this, Allen." Her voice came over the loudspeaker. "All units, pull back. The Flash will handle this, but standby to support if she makes a move."

"Thank you," he replied, slowly moving around the ice wall. "Caitlin? It's me, it's the Flash. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to talk." When he reached the other side, his eyes widened by a large margin, perceiving Cate's body lying curled up on the ground, in a fetal position. "Oh, Cate…"

She looked up at him piteously. "Barry…help me. Please."

The Flash pursed his lips, looking up at the airship. "Sorry, Chief."

He went for her in a split-second, trying to pick her up and run, but her reflexes made her flinch in that time, a wave of cold overtaking him and causing nearly instant frostbite around his chest and arms. It was like being shot by Snart all over again. He shrieked loudly as he stumbled past, Caitlin's cries reaching his consciousness distantly as Lin yelled over loudspeaker. The shapes of the two cops were dark blurs in the edge of his vision, the speedster writhing as he tried to regenerate. A series of yells and impacts were heard as if muffled, the familiar tone of Korra's voice reaching him as his vision began to clear.

The Flash pushed himself into a sitting position as his head shook, looking up to see Korra holding back both cops while trying to calm Cate down. It was clear the situation was deteriorating fast, but Barry could do nothing but watch, his limbs refusing to respond either as Korra's efforts abruptly failed, or when Caitlin blasted both cops back at once, her bending out of control and spewing everywhere. The Avatar tried to shield herself from the ice storm, but only succeeded in redirecting it toward Barry. Both women shrieked in horror as the cold snap arced toward him.

A body descended in a split-second, shielding Barry from the blast but getting blown back ten feet. Caitlin shrieked louder as Korra rushed to her boyfriend's side, the reason becoming apparent as soon as Barry turned his head.

"Ronnie!" Cate cried, dropping to the hybrid's side. "Ronnie, say something… _do_ something!"

Barry stared at the pair with held breath, eyes widening when Firestorm's snapped open, his hands and head igniting as one of the former curled around Caitlin. His right hand pointed toward the ground, sending him rocketing upward with his icy passenger in his grip. They grew smaller on the horizon by the second, the night sky swallowing them in less than a minute without a single entity able to pursue. Stunned, Barry was hauled to his feet by Korra, his arm going around her shoulders as they shared a look.

His earpiece clicked on, Lin's voice filling it. "Barry, what the hell just happened?"

He put a finger to his ear. "Firestorm, Chief. Firestorm happened."

"Wait…you mean that flaming mystery? The one that saved you?"

"Yeah." Barry huffed. "Twice now."

"Any ideas where he took her?"

"None."

Korra put a finger to her own earpiece, staring at the ground for a few moments before looking over at Barry. "Firestorm just spoke to Asami. He has Cate about half a mile outside the airfield. She's unconscious but okay, and her frost seems to be calming down now that he's feeding her."

Barry shrugged off her arm, gingerly testing his range of movement. "Then we better get to them. I have a feeling this is far from over."

* * *

AN: Wow. So…yeah. A month. I would apologize to you guys rather profusely, but the truth is, this is probably going to be the pattern for a while. College just started for me, and with all the move-in and class craze going on, it's going to be difficult enough to keep track of everything, much less update frequently. Add that to a downright appalling case of writer's block, and you've got a very unhappy writer who wants to write but can't find the inspiration to.

Please review this chapter. You have no idea how much it means to get feedback on my work. The more I receive, the more I want to write and push through the blocks.

Again, sorry for the long wait. I really want to get this story done. I've got a really awesome ending planned, but it's going to be a long time yet.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	27. Uncompromising

Uncompromising (adj.): unwilling to make concessions to others, especially by changing one's ways or opinions; staunchly devoted against all opposition.

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

10 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"How is she?"

Eddie looked over at Korra with a frown. "Her physical condition is stable, but her mental state…she's in a bad way. Causing death, even unintentionally, has its consequences."

The Avatar nodded slowly. "Let me talk to her. I know a thing or two about being in a bad place."

The professor nodded and smiled a little, turning his attention to Barry. "We have another problem, though."

The Flash's brows furrowed. "Okay?"

He pulled Barry aside, toward Asami, Cisco, and Mako. "It's Firestorm. On a hunch, I ran some tests on his blood when you first brought me here, and the results just came back." His head shook rapidly. "Fascinating stuff, but the bottom line is much worse than we assumed."

Asami's brows furrowed. "Explain."

"Whenever he…ignites, his body undergoes a compounded combustion reaction with energy levels beyond anything I've ever seen. The sheer amount of power generated by his body on a cellular level every time he takes a breath is _astronomical_. It's like he's ten power plants rolled into the body of a man."

Cisco's eyes widened. "Whoa…okay, how is that bad?"

Eddie's lips pursed. "Because all that energy needs to go somewhere. The problem is, he's been channeling it inward, trying to keep from destroying everything around him."

"Which is causing a massive buildup," Barry finished. "Spirits…that much power held back…it's like a dam threatening to break."

The professor looked over at him. "Try a _thousand_ dams. Whatever's holding Martin and Ronnie together is unstable to begin with, but beyond that, Ronnie's cells are rejecting Martin like a host body rejects a parasite, and I fear his fights with the Reverse-Flash and Caitlin have only made matters worse. The increasing instability is making his efforts to hold back that energy more and more difficult, even if he doesn't realize it."

"So…what happens if it releases?" Cisco asked warily.

Eddie's expression darkened. "An explosion, the size and magnitude of which we've never seen before." His gaze shifted to the medical room, where Firestorm was sitting on a bed separate from Caitlin. "By my calculations…it would level all of Republic City and then some."

Four jaws dropped as one, Barry immediately looking over at the hybrid, then to Korra, who was consoling a despondent Caitlin. "How do we help him?" He looked back to Eddie, who was notably silent. "Eddie, there has to be a way to stop that explosion."

"There is." He glanced at Firestorm. "The host body needs to be rendered inert."

Asami cast him a furious glare. "You're talking about killing him. Killing Ronnie."

"I'm sorry," Eddie replied sincerely. "I just can't see another way out."

Barry started pacing, running his hands through his hair. "Okay…okay, you said that Ronnie is rejecting Martin like a parasite."

"All right?"

"So, what if we separate them? That would eliminate the buildup at the very least."

"But the energy would still need somewhere to go. And the energy required for the separation to begin with…we'd need another Harmonic Convergence."

Barry's eyes widened as an epiphany struck him. "Maybe not."

Eddie's brows furrowed. "What are you thinking?"

He vanished for a moment into the suit storage room, returning with a small box in his palm. "We can use these." He held out his hand, the battery used to power his treadmill sitting in his palm.

"Of course," Eddie breathed. "Spirit energy." He smacked his forehead. "Barry, you're a genius. Get a network of these together, then bombard his cells with enough energy to put them in a state of flux. Once that happens, Martin should be able to separate the same way any spirit stops possessing a human."

"Still doesn't resolve the whole 'energy-release' thing," Cisco pointed out.

"But it's a start," Barry insisted. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Barry's right," Asami said. "Right now, we need to focus on solutions, both for Ronnie and Caitlin. We haven't come this far just to let them die."

Barry frowned. _And I didn't potentially break the space-time continuum to just give up._ "If there's a way to save them both, we'll find it." He looked at the pair. "We have to."

…

Next day, afternoon

"Barry? Hey, Barry."

Korra sighed hard, head shaking as her boyfriend snored softly. A smile slowly spread over her features as she inspected his current pillow: a notebook filled with equations and calculations of considerable magnitude. He'd been up all night with Eddie, Cisco, and Asami, performing countless calculations and projections with regard to what they nicknamed the "Firestorm Matrix," the theoretical system implanted by the Reverse-Flash that was keeping Ronnie and Martin fused. When informed of his rising instability, Firestorm agreed to be kept on-site and under observation at all times, refusing to so much as spark. Upon the initiation of the separator's construction, Barry had run back to the Reverse-Flash's lab beneath the Sato Estate and recovered reams of paper and slides littered with notes on his experiments, all encoded.

Enough, however, had been decrypted to allow them to gauge just how much damage could have been done to Caitlin's physiology. The woman herself had been kept under lock and key in a specialized room, and given a constant stream of hundred-plus degree weather. After an entire night of this, she looked considerably better, though her skin was still a bit cool to the touch and her eyes were still glassy blue. Her state of mind was still less than optimal, especially now that she was lucid and fully aware what her new powers had forced her to do. To make matters worse, the media had taken the story and run with it.

Reports of a mysterious ice woman had run rampant, as well as increased volume in stories about the Burning Man after his spectacular exit. The excessive amount of speculation and media attention had led to Caitlin being codenamed "Killer Frost," a moniker that did nothing to improve her disposition. Talking with Korra had helped considerably, but words could only do so much to soothe a ravaged conscience. At the moment, Cate was busy reading over Eddie's report on this morning's physical, getting a full picture of her cells and how they react to heat and cold. Despite her extremely adverse reaction to losing heat, when exposed to direct and sharp cold, her cells showed no direct effects other than to tighten up slightly.

The true damage came when her cells were cooled slowly, sapped of heat by degrees. After a certain point, they degraded at an exponential level, the cells' innate cooling properties doubling the effect of cooling, and eventually ruptured, causing extensive damage and eventually death. At this point, her state was mostly stable. They still didn't know enough to safely lower her room's temperature to anything less than tropical, though. Not that she was complaining. In fact, any time someone opened the door, she cast a fearful look in their direction, and she resolutely refused to touch a single person since waking up.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she looked over at Eddie, who was once again bent over a microscope. Noting his concentrated frown, she strode over and looked over his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

He hissed sharply. "This doesn't make any sense."

"What doesn't?"

"Caitlin's cells. I performed a similar test as the one last night, and the results were completely different. It's as if her physiology is in a constant state of flux, like…it changes with her mood." He wheeled over to a storage container. "See, the original samples were taken last night while she was unconscious, when her last thought was fixated on getting more heat. That one had a very violent reaction to changes in temperature. The second sample was taken just after she woke up, when we'd been heating her up already, told her she was safe. Those were a bit more moderate in reaction, with little difference from a normal person's reaction to temperature change.

"Third sample was taken just after we told her what happened. That one reacted a bit more like the first, but not quite so violently. Now, today, I just ran another test with fresh samples…and there's no reaction whatsoever. It's like her cells are as indifferent as she is right now."

Korra's brows furrowed as she stared at records of the different trials. "You think it could be psychological?"

"Maybe not entirely, but I'm willing to bet there's a psychosomatic component to her condition."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Huh?"

"Oh…psychosomatic, uh, up in her head. It's a state of mind."

"So…as long as she has a bad state of mind, her condition will continue to deteriorate."

"That's my current theory, yes."

"What do you think will snap her out of it?"

Eddie shrugged and sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I don't know. I just don't know." He looked up at her. "But, if I could wager a guess, I'd say coming to terms with last night would be a good start."

Korra nodded slowly. "I don't think I can do anything more on that front. When she's ready, she'll talk about it. For now I think our best course of action is to just keep her company, let her know she's not alone."

"Yeah," Eddie agreed. "I think Cisco's got that covered at the moment." He leaned closer to the med center, squinting a bit. "Well I'll be…is she actually smiling?"

Korra smirked. "Good old Cisco," she said softly. She slapped Eddie's shoulder before walking off. "Keep up the good work."

"Will do."

The Avatar wiped the back of her hand across tired eyes, glancing over to see a familiar firebender sitting in a chair next to Asami, hands wrapped around a coffee mug. "So, I'm a little surprised Chief Beifong hasn't kicked down the door yet, Mr. Uptight."

He sent her an annoyed look before nodding at Barry (who was still snoring). "Last thing he said to Chief was that Firestorm took Caitlin, and that he didn't know where. As far as she knows, I'm still shunning Barry, and for now, I'm gonna keep it that way. Cate needs a doctor right now, not a cop."

She gave him a sideways look. "That's not the uptight detective _I_ know."

Asami laughed. "I know. It's a little disturbing, isn't it?"

"Ha ha," Mako deadpanned, taking a swig of his coffee. "So maybe Barry's off-the-reservation approach is rubbing off on me a bit. Bite me."

Korra smiled and looked down, then up at the empty seat on her left. "I missed this," she said quietly.

Asami looked up at her. "Missed what?"

"Us. Together. Just…hanging out. All on the same side." She looked over at Mako. "On the same page."

Mako looked away sheepishly, a smile slowly coming to his face. "Only thing missing now is Bolin."

They shared a chuckle.

"And Naga," Korra added.

"Yeah, where is she, by the way?"

Korra rolled her eyes. "The South Pole. When Barry and I went on that trip a few months back, he left with me, ran all the way back. Obviously, he couldn't carry a seven hundred-pound polar bear dog along with me and all of our stuff."

Mako's eyes widened. "So he just left Naga?"

The Avatar smiled a little. "She's fine, really. Honestly, I think she liked the time off, considering how hot it tends to get in Republic City that time of year. I'll probably take a trip down there soon, go pick her up with the Airship." She frowned. "Probably not until this Reverse-Flash situation is resolved, though."

"Speaking of…" Mako looked past Korra and sighed when he caught sight of Barry. "When is _our_ speedster gonna decide to stop napping?"

"Hey," Asami interrupted, shooting Mako a look, "take it easy on him. He's been running himself ragged ever since Cate went missing. Literally." She looked back to Barry. "Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't burn out sooner."

"Wha—"

The trio jumped at the exclamation as Barry's head snapped upright instantly, his bedhead causing the air around it to whoosh audibly. The speedster blinked several times as his eyes flitted about, from the med room to the trio to Eddie's workstation. He finally settled on the clock, blinking several times, then letting his jaw drop when he finally registered the time.

"I was out for _how long_?!"

Korra moved for him, but he was up in, well, a flash, tidying himself and his workstation, then off to another room. His lightning trail moved too fast for her to track, but by the time he stopped moving, several new items, namely spirit batteries, were lying on his table, along with a soldering iron and a pair of safety goggles, which he quickly donned. Her lips turned into a disapproving frown as her hands went to her hips. Barry slowly looked up at her, whereupon he noticed her stand and expression.

"Um…what did I do this time?"

Korra just rolled her eyes and swiped his goggles, dumping them on the desk and hauling him from the chair. "We're going out. Now."

"Uh, can we—can we talk about this?"

"No."

"Okay."

…

Asami sighed and smirked at the couple's exit, shaking her head and looking over at Mako. "Still weird, isn't it?"

"What?"

She nodded at the door. "Seeing them together. A grade-a tomboy and the world's biggest nerd. At a glance, you'd never guess they're two of the most powerful beings on the planet."

Mako snorted. " _I_ didn't. For either of them. Honestly, when we first met, I thought Korra was just another wide-eyed fan. Wasn't until she practically spouted her title that I put the pieces together."

Asami chuckled as she stood up. "Why does that not surprise me?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Because I have a remarkably hard head?"

"One way of putting it." She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door.

"Wait, where are _you_ going?"

She turned her head to face him. "I have a friend to go visit. Well…not so much a friend really. But…he's getting there."

Mako arched an eyebrow. "Okay? And am I getting any hints to the identity of this friend?"

Asami smirked and went for the door. "Nope."

Just before she was out of earshot, she heard him snort and mutter, "Women."

Her smirk widened.

…

10 minutes later

Police HQ

"Is he awake?"

The guard nodded silently and ushered Asami in the tightly locked room. The tycoon stepped inside and looked around, noting that the cell was much larger than the original one. Still rather small and made of sheer platinum, but definitely a lot roomier. Just seconds after she entered, the door closed behind her, and her green eyes fell to the bulky man lying on the cot inside the enclosure.

A small smile came to her face as she came to a stop just outside the cell. "Hey Tony. Been a while."

His head snapped up instantly, a bewildered expression on his face. "'Sami? Damn, it _is_ you. Where ya been? It's been weeks."

She huffed and started pacing. "Spirits, where do I even start? Well, for one, I've been logging some miles with the new vehicle."

Tony's brows rose as a grin spread over his features. "You mean the tank? Well I'll be…you actually built it."

"Ugh." Her eyes rolled. "For the last time, it is _not_ a tank."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's an all-terrain whatever you call it. Still built like a tank. And I bet its engine runs like a monster."

Asami grinned.

The metalbender laughed loudly, looking off to the side. "So, how long can you stay?"

Her smile faded. "Not long. Just wanted to see you. Never seemed to have the time to visit, and things are…kind of at a low at the moment, so…yeah." She shrugged. "How've you been?"

His reply was cut off by an explosion outside the door, the grunts of the guard reaching both occupants as Asami whirled toward the exit, body tense. The door burst open, letting in a flood of smoke as dark-clad figures stormed the room, the girl dashing for one as her electrified glove activated. Two went down before they even spotted her, but too many were entering at once, and before long, she was overwhelmed. Her arms were pinned first, and her knees hit the ground a moment later. She distantly heard Tony scream her name when one of the men clubbed her in the head, blackness taking over a moment later.

…

RC Jitters

Barry leaned his head on Korra's shoulder unabashedly, closing his eyes as their lids started to droop.

"Don't fight it," she said softly. "If you need to sleep, sleep. You've been running non-stop for almost two days now."

He shrugged. "There's just been a lot to do, ya know? Ever since Cate—"

She prodded his chest with her finger. "No excuse to burn out. You keep this up, and metahuman or not, you'll give yourself a heart attack."

He groaned gently into her shoulder, content to cede that point, if only because her shoulder was such a comfortable pillow. A loud beep from his pocket immediately eliminated all hopes for a nap. With a small groan, he pulled his earpiece out and put it on.

"Hello?"

"Allen, it's Beifong."

He immediately straightened up. "Chief. What's wrong?"

"It's the metas." She coughed several times. "Less than five minutes ago, an unknown party broke into HQ and took them all."

He shot to his feet, getting Korra's attention. "What do you mean 'took them'? I thought the cells were secure."

"They were. Whoever pulled this off had to have intimate knowledge of our layout, including which inmates were where."

"O-Okay, what do we have on leads?"

"Not much. They were clothed in black, all had masks. The cells were immediately cut off from the rest of the station to prevent interference. We're not sure how they got out once the inmates were in their possession."

"W-What do you mean 'possession'? It wasn't a breakout?"

"No. By all reports, it was not. Someone wanted to have them moved. My money is on an inside job."

Barry's brows furrowed. "You think someone within RCPD planned this job."

"No. None of _my_ cops are stupid enough, or willing to openly assault other officers. I think this was military."

"Military? You think the task force is back?"

"Task force?" Silence reigned for a moment. "Oh…of _course_."

"What?"

"Eiling."

Barry's eyes widened at the mention of the general. "What does Eiling want with the metas? I thought he wanted us all executed."

"No, _his_ redesign of the metahuman task force was geared toward apprehension and study."

His upper lip twitched. "You mean dissection."

"Probably, which is one of the many reasons I vetoed the idea from the bat. The other being, well…you."

Barry nodded slowly, nodding to Korra, who paid the tab and sidled up alongside him. His brows furrowed at her tone. "Wait…Chief…what is it you're not telling me?"

"…It's Asami."

He stiffened and took a quick intake of breath.

"She's been visiting Tony Woodward on and off since you apprehended him. She was in his cell when it happened and, Barry…"

His jaw dropped as his heart stopped beating.

"…we can't find her anywhere."

…

2 hours later

Unknown location

A low groan came from a pair of red lips as their owner's eyes fluttered open. The slate-gray of old concrete greeted her vision as soon as it cleared, and the residual ache of a blow came a second later. Another groan left her throat as her hand went to press against the injury, a bump already fully formed. Another couple of blinks later, and her surroundings started to make sense, if only just barely. A touch at her shoulder sent her jumping away.

"Whoa! Whoa-whoa-whoa, it's okay, 'Sami. It's okay."

A few more rapid breaths left her lungs as everything started to fall into place in her painfully throbbing head. "Ugh…Tony?"

"Yeah, gorgeous, it's me." He gingerly touched the back of her head. "Took quite the shot there."

She cracked an eye open, looking around. "Where are we?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. Some kinda prison, I'd guess, since all the friggin' doors are locked."

"Anyone else here?"

"Yeah," he replied, slowly hauling her to her feet. "Couple'a guards that I've seen, plus whoever keeps screaming."

She cast a horrified look at him. "Screaming?"

Tony's expression darkened. "Whatever they're doin', I won't let it happen to you. Promise."

Strangely, that reassured her. The unlocking of a nearby platinum door, however, did not, nor did the six men who stepped through with electrified poles.

"Stay behind me," Tony ordered, pushing her to the back of the cell.

The half dozen immediately surrounded the pair, boxing them in as Girder's Iron Skin engaged. With a feral yell, he dodged their first attack, yanking the staff and pulling the man behind it into his waiting fist. The second time was not so lucky, as his left knee was shocked next, the metal over his body only adding more pain to the mix as Asami tried to clear her head. She moved for one of his attackers, but the throbbing increased by leaps and bounds with every step, and just before she reached him, a sharp stabbing pain lanced through her temples, causing her to shriek and grasp her head. The man spotted her and delivered a blunt strike to her gut, another hitting her back and knocking her to the ground.

The air left her lungs in a whoosh as Girder continued to fight back, managing to down two more of them before having three staves thrust into his chest, the combined current causing steam to rise from his metal-encased form. A second later, he hit the ground, the Iron Skin receding upon his falling unconscious. Asami, for her part, was doing her best to hold onto consciousness, feeling her body lifted off the ground and dragged out the door as her eyes flickered open to see thick—and extensive—restraints being put onto Tony's limbs. Her eyes closed again when the pain became too much, and one minute started to blend into the next until she felt herself being lowered into a surprisingly comfortable chair.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, the lighting in this room far more gentle than the blinding spotlight of the cell, and saw an older, gray-haired man sitting on the opposite end of a desk. A sinister smirk graced his features as his eyes glinted with an unknown emotion.

"Good evening, Ms. Sato."

She winced at the exaggerated volume of his voice.

He leaned forward in his seat. "My name is Wade Eiling. We've got a lot to discuss."

…

Police HQ

"Sir, I recognize that military matters are beyond my jurisdiction, but this is a matter of civilian security. One of our citizens—yes sir." Lin's upper lip twitched. "Yes sir, I understand. But—Mr. President—" Her lips slowly curled into a fierce snarl. "As you wish, _sir_." She slammed the phone into its receiver, Korra, Barry, and Mako standing in her office. Lin looked up at them. "He's refusing to comment on Eiling's actions or whereabouts. We've got nothing."

"That isn't exactly true," Barry interjected. He laid a plastic bag with several notes on her desk. "I went to the crime scene and analyzed the blast pattern used in some of their explosives. There are some similarities to a case I've been looking at in connection to a Bette Sans Souci." He laid another file down. "Based on the unique chemical composition of the residue and the way no bomb parts were found on the scene in any capacity, I think we're dealing with a metahuman."

Lin arched an eyebrow. "Metahuman? You mean Eiling's got one working for him?"

He shrugged. "It's the only explanation. There were no parts, no detonators, no wiring. Not even old-fashioned fuse ashes. It's like the walls just…spontaneously—"

"Combusted," Lin finished. "What if we're dealing with an enhanced combustion bender?"

Mako exchanged a look with Barry. "It _would_ explain the blast pattern. Usual demolition charges are more directed, but these holes were haphazard. No discernible similarities in shape except that they were all radically different."

Barry nodded. "If our bomber _is_ a combustion bender, there may be a way to track her. I've been researching any places that produce the raw materials to manufacture the chemical residue found at all the bomb sites, and a few of them have converged at this location." He slapped a map down on the table, pointing to an expanse of empty water twenty miles off the coast.

The three others stared at the map for a few seconds before looking up at the CSI, Korra speaking up. "I don't get it. There's nothing there."

"Not on any map, sure," he conceded. "But those shipments were all directed to these coordinates. That's all they were given, too. Just coordinates."

"When is the next shipment slated to arrive?" Mako asked.

"Today, in just under an hour."

"Then we better get moving," the detective replied, going for his jacket.

"Ah…I don't think that's a good idea."

He whirled toward Barry. "What?"

"He's right, Detective," Lin added. "If Eiling is operating on a government sanction, then he could potentially bring any action from the police back down on our heads." She looked at Korra. "The Avatar, on the other hand…now that's another story. He can't go after _her_ without raising some hard questions, questions that could expose his little operation to the public, and if Raiko really is backing him…well, let's just say his approval ratings would take an irreversible dive."

Korra snorted. "I'll say. So, what are we waiting for?"

Barry frowned. "Wherever he's keeping the metas, Eiling will have the place locked down and hardened against any kind of metahuman interference. It'll be a fortress. We'd need an army to take it."

"Or just some human backup."

The speedster's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

The Avatar gave him a sly look. "Just how fast you can run to Ba Sing Se and back."

…

1 hour later

Secret blacksite, 20 miles from Republic City

Asami's face was a study in passive aggressive, her arms crossed as she stared down General Eiling.

"Are you gonna sit there all night or are we gonna discuss business?"

Asami snorted, a sardonic smirk on her face. "There's nothing to discuss."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I just offered you a very lucrative proposal, one that grants you your immediate freedom. I don't think that's anything to sneeze at."

"Then you have a twisted sense of payoff. I'm a multi-millionaire, Eiling. I don't need more money, and frankly, even if I did, I wouldn't take the deal."

"And why's that?" He tilted his head slightly downward. "Worried about the Flash and his flaming friend?"

Her green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Primarily, yes. Especially since _they're_ the ones you're most interested in, aren't they?"

Eiling cracked a smirk. "You're very perceptive, Ms. Sato. Your reputation does you credit, though not, I think, quite as much as you deserve." He uncapped a glass snifter on his desk and poured a small portion of its contents into two glasses, one of which he pushed to her side. "The fact is, I admire you. I admire your company. And, despite disagreeing with his ideology, I admire your father as well."

Asami winced.

"The sheer _genius_ and industriousness it must've taken to supply an army capable of subjugating a bender-heavy population..." He grunted approvingly and shook his head. "It's remarkable, really. Shame he turned out to be a traitor. Can you _imagine_ what he could do if he were running our military R &D division? The United Republic of Nations would be the foremost military power in the _world_. No one would _dare_ to interfere with us."

The girl snarled slightly. "You know, I was considering establishing a military contract for my company's mecha tanks…but after what little I've seen and heard here, I'm starting to reconsider that."

Eiling chuckled. "Oh, don't be so judgmental. I don't speak for the military as a whole, though in my honest opinion, if I did, we'd be in much better shape to defend ourselves."

"Defend…or preemptively strike?"

A sly smirk ghosted over his features. "From my point of view, there's little difference."

Asami's eyes narrowed. "You won't win, General. I have friends. Powerful friends with vast resources. When they come for me, and they will, they won't care what or who they have to go through to save me." She leaned toward him threateningly. "So if I were you, I'd dismantle this little operation and start running."

Eiling let a malevolent smile slowly spread over his features. "If you're talking about Barry Allen and Ronnie Raymond, let me say that I have every contingency accounted for."

Asami's eyes widened in horror.

He chuckled. "Relax. I've known about them for months. If I wanted them dead, they would be already. Information is what I'm after. Information and the ability to replicate what they are."

Despite the alarm rushing through her system (or maybe because of it), Asami started to laugh. "General, there's something you should know about the Flash. There are things in this world that can never be replicated."

…

Two of the floating facility's perimeter guards vanished in a flash of golden lightning.

…

"You can try to copy his look, his suit, even his speed."

…

A large metal door was vibrated off its hinges, three shadowy figures moving inside, their movements cloaked by the rapidly setting sun.

…

"But the one thing you _can't_ copy is the man _behind_ the suit, _behind_ the speed."

…

An entire column of startled guards was toppled by a fast-moving red blur, two tower sentries yanked off their perches by metal cables while another two fell over groaning from thin objects imbedded in their shoulders.

…

"And that, General, _that_ is the most important component. Because without Barry Allen…there _is_ no Flash."

…

A cluster of guards rushed into the prison's main courtyard only to pull up short when they found themselves overshadowed by large boulders ready to drop. So distracted were they that they failed to see the incoming red blur until they were surrounded and tied together with a long metal cable. The men grunted and struggled with effort until an arrow landed in the center of their cluster, a hollow cylinder just behind the head releasing a cloud of knockout gas that rendered them all incapacitated in seconds. With a nod to each other, the archer and the blur proceeded inside, the Avatar standing guard at the entrance.

…

Eiling stood and walked over to Asami's side of the table. "That's where you're mistaken, Ms. Sato. See, I don't want another Flash. I want a soldier with the _abilities_ of the Flash. There's a difference."

"And that difference will cost you both. You don't get it, General. The 'accident' that made Barry Allen into the fastest man alive was no accident at all. He was _chosen_ that night, for whatever reason. I believe it's because whatever force was responsible saw who he was, what he stood for, and decided that he could change the world for the better."

He snorted. "If _that's_ true, then how come there's a Reverse-Flash?"

The rogue speedster's words to Barry upon their first meeting came to her mind. "Because the universe is balance. There can be no entity without an opposite, no force without a counter. _He_ exists because Barry does."

He eyed her carefully for a few moments. "Fair enough. But there is a science behind all the 'supernatural mojo,' and as soon as I figure out just what that is, the Flash will be a relic of the past."

"That'll never happen."

"Oh? And why not?"

"Because _I_ won't allow it."

He chuckled. "Girl, you're on a man-made island in the middle of the ocean that isn't on any map or record in the world. The walls are made of premium-grade platinum and are patrolled day and night by over two dozen guards that constantly rotate. That's not even counting the men _inside_ the prison. Exactly what leverage do you think you have to stop me?"

Asami smirked malevolently as she reached for the proffered glass. "Because, General, you've made a few critical mistakes."

He arched an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair with steepled fingers. "Oh? Do tell."

"Happy to." She took a long sip, the crinkles at the edges of her eyes increasing by the second. When she finally stopped drinking, half the glass was drained, and she looked down into the amber liquid as she let out a long breath. "That is good stuff. Sometime later, you gotta let me know where you found it. But I digress. Your first mistake was breaking into RCPD's headquarters with a high-profile operation. Chief Beifong is no fool, and by now I'm sure she already put together that you were behind the strike. Even if she can't interfere directly, she has…other methods of exacting retribution."

Eiling shrugged, conceding the point as he took a sip from his own glass.

"Second, you put all the captured metahumans in one place, which, while it allows for convenient study, also puts you and your men at great risk. If any of them were to, say, band together, your soldiers would be slaughtered by the dozens." She leaned toward him. "There's a reason they're called metahumans." Asami took another sip, allowing the point to sink in. "Third, you took _me_ , one of the wealthiest, most powerful and high-profile people in Republic City, if not the world. Forget my metahuman friends, one of whom is the _Avatar_ —just think of the media circus that would result if this kidnapping ever came to light. You'd be finished. That said, you really _should_ worry about my friends, because I can guarantee you they're coming for me right now."

Eiling laughed as he took another sip, emptying his glass. "You can see how worried I am. I built this place and hired my guards precisely because I anticipated the interference of the Flash and his buddies at some point. If they haven't already, I'm sure they'll run into a few snags of their own."

She shrugged. "Oh, no doubt, but they're a smart bunch, and _very_ quick on their feet, pun intended."

Eiling chuckled. "Regardless, I still think you're overestimating your chances."

Asami took a breath. "That's because you made one more critical mistake."

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The woman slowly drained the last of the alcohol, letting it slide down her gullet with a satisfying smack of the lips. A low hum came from her throat as her eyes closed, head shaking slightly in enjoyment. Her eyes snapped open a second later, instantly locking onto Eiling.

"You just handed me a weapon."

The general stared at her in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened and Asami leapt from her seat, shattering the cup on the edge of the desk and diving over it on Eiling's left side, her left arm curling around his neck as she tackled him to the ground. A few moments later, and he was being hauled upright, his left arm pinned behind his back with her empty hand while her right held a shard of glass to his neck.

"Now, General," she began, "we're going to discuss a new deal. One that returns your stolen metas back into police custody and keeps your hands the hell out of Republic City."

"Not gonna happen," he grunted. "Too much is already invested in this place for me to back out now."

She dug the tip of the shard into his neck slightly. "Then you better be prepared to watch it burn, because if it's the last thing I do, that's _exactly_ what's gonna happen."

The door of Eiling's office burst open, and three metalbending guards entered the room, taking ready stances as Asami backed up.

"You were saying?" Eiling taunted. "Let me go now, and I'll make sure these men take it easy on you."

Asami's eyes flickered from one bender to the other, narrowing as her jaw tightened. Her grip tightened around the shard, its edge pressing more firmly into the general's neck. Just as tensions rose to a fever pitch, a flash of golden lightning smacked into all three guards in quick succession, their arms tied together with their own cables in seconds. Asami smirked when she locked gazes with the Flash.

Her head turned to bring her lips closer to Eiling's ear. "I'm sorry…you were saying?"

Even from behind, she could see the general's jaw clench. "You'll never get out of here alive. My men will see to that."

She abruptly let him go, shoving him forward a step before her elbow impacted the back of his head. The older man hit the ground with a thud, the woman standing over his unconscious body.

"I'll take my chances." Asami looked back up at Barry. "Took you long enough."

The younger man smiled. "Sorry. Had to go talk to a friend. This place was actually a lot easier to get into than I expected."

She frowned. "Probably because it was supposed to be. I'm guessing getting out will be a lot harder."

Just then, a series of alarm klaxons blared down every hall of the platinum fortress.

"Especially since they now know you're here."

The Flash sighed. "Well they had to use their brains eventually. Come on, I'll run you out of here."

Asami frowned. "No."

He arched an eyebrow. "No?"

Her head shook. "Even if they are criminals, the metas don't deserve to be imprisoned and dissected. Not like this. At the very least, I know one that we need to get out of here."

His brows furrowed as he followed her out the door. "Who?"

She glanced at him. "You're gonna have to trust me, Bear. Find out where the guards are coming from and see if you can slow them down. I'm gonna go find him."

"Asami—"

She turned to face his concerned expression.

The Flash approached her and lifted something into her view. "Just be careful, okay? Most of these guys are hardened killers."

Asami looked down and accepted her electric glove with a smile and a nod. "I promise. Now go."

With a nod, he obeyed.

…

"This must be like target practice for you."

The Arrow glanced at Korra and smirked. "The people I deal with don't usually rush straight at me." He let loose another arrow, its carbon polymer tip sinking into a gap at the knee of one guard. "It's always a shuffle in Ba Sing Se."

A red blur streaked back and forth along the column of incoming soldiers, black-clad bodies flying in one direction or another as the Flash mopped up the last of that wave.

"Time to stop shuffling," Barry said. "We need to start pushing. Find a way to keep all the guards bottled up in one location while we evacuate this place."

Oliver's brows furrowed. "Evacuate? Aren't these all criminals?"

"Yes, but they are still human beings. Eiling doesn't care what happens to them so long as he gets what he wants. We do."

Korra arched a brow. "We do?"

He gave them both a look. "We're heroes, Korra. We don't get to decide who lives or dies. Right now, Eiling is the only criminal here, and he's violated the basic human rights of every person he's imprisoned. We're going to rectify that."

"Well unless you intend to knock out every prisoner and manually load them onto lifeboats, I don't see how," Oliver said.

"It's simple. We get _them_ to do it themselves."

Korra's eyes widened. "You want to stage a jailbreak."

Barry nodded. "Exactly. We set the metas loose, and distract the guards while we call in a few favors with the real United Forces, get them to send ships to pick up the inmates. Once we have them outnumbered and surrounded, we get them to surrender."

"They won't, you know," Oliver pointed out. "And if we set them loose, they'll do more than distract the guards. They'll start a body count."

The speedster shrugged. "Well, you guys got any better ideas? Because as far as I'm concerned, we're makin' this up as we go."

Oliver exchanged a look with Korra as he pulled another gas arrow from his quiver. "I might. We set the inmates loose and give the guards a choice: help us or die. With their help, we funnel the metas into a single chamber. Lock down all the air vents but one and I load every gas arrow I have into their end, knock them all out at once." He shrugged. "Like you said, they're only human. Once unconscious, we can load them up and transport them elsewhere."

Barry nodded slowly. "Now _that_ sounds like a plan. Let's do it."

…

"Tony? Tony!"

The metalbender painfully craned his neck to look toward the approaching woman, who quickly dispatched of the scientists "studying" him. "Asami? You—you're okay."

She smiled. "'Course I am, dummy." An electric touch to the controls short-circuited his restraints, allowing her to haul his weakened form from the table. "Come on. We gotta get you out of here."

"Why? What's wrong?"

Asami arched an eyebrow. "Other than being surrounded by dozens if not hundreds of angry prison guards?"

He gave her a look. "Other than that."

"It's a plan to get all the cons off the island."

"Wait, this is an island?"

"Near as I can tell, we're about twenty miles from any kind of land. Probably why Eiling built this place here."

"So even if we broke out, there'd be nowhere to escape to."

"Exactly."

"So how are _we_ escaping?"

She smirked. "With some help."

His eyes flashed briefly. "The Flash?"

Her smile faded. "Among others."

Tony's expression became unreadable as they went through one door after the next, his arm around her much narrower shoulders. When Asami came up short, he opened his mouth to ask why. That is, until he saw a crowd of over half a dozen men standing in the hallway in front of them, most looking quite horribly familiar. The girl put a finger to her ear, a nervous laugh bubbling from her throat.

"Hey guys…"

Captain Cold, the Weather Wizards, Blackout, and a few new faces stared the pair down, some with curious eyes, some with suspicion, all looking far more dangerous than either could handle at the moment.

"We might have a slight problem."

* * *

AN: Two chapters in as many days. Wow. Okay. Don't want to jinx myself, but maybe I am starting to break my writer's block. The next chapter will wrap up the Eiling saga, as well as Killer Frost and Firestorm's arcs, so look for more soon. Here's hoping I don't get too bogged down with work. Fingers crossed!

Please review. It helps me get creative fire going when I know my readers are responding well.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	28. Resolved

Resolved (adj.): set upon the achievement of a certain outcome; determined.

Secret blacksite, 20 miles from Republic City

10 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"So," said the metahuman lightning bender, "who's the chick?"

The pair stood rooted to the spot for a moment before Tony spoke up. "She's with me. Planning to break us all outta here."

"No so fast," Snart cut in. "I know _exactly_ who you are, Ms. Sato. Stole from you once or twice myself, and I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you're no fan of _any_ of us."

Half the room's occupants started bending their respective elements, Snart included.

"So tell me, why exactly would _you_ help _us_?"

She gulped and took a moment to breathe. "Because no matter what you've done, you're still citizens of the United Republic, and as such entitled to basic human rights. Eiling robbed you of that, and I aim to see that lapse rectified."

Snart stared at her coldly for a few moments, eyes narrowing behind his goggles as his gun hummed ominously. Finally, he smiled and lowered the weapon, a soft chuckle bubbling from his throat. "The funny part is, you actually mean that."

Asami's eyes narrowed. "And why do you find that funny?"

"Because," he laughed, "it's not the way the world works. People don't play by the rules, not even the ones that are supposed to be enforcing them." He waved to their surroundings. "Case in point."

"Eiling is a radical and a criminal. He'll get his."

"Uh huh. Well, until then, hows about we get outta this hellhole?"

Blackout looked her over suspiciously for a few moments, his sparking hands eventually lowering. "Fair enough." He nodded to her. "Lead the way."

Gulping hard, Asami moved past them, Tony still half leaning on her as they entered another hallway, weaving through the empty corridors with rising tension in the air. Girder exchanged a look with Asami after about a minute or so, their sentiments reflected in each other's eyes: we are so screwed.

…

Three figure stood rooted in place until the conversation ended, the Avatar exchanging horrified looks with her two partners.

"They're gonna kill her."

Barry looked up at her. "Agreed. We need a new plan."

"No," Oliver replied, "no the old one will still work. In fact, it might work even better now. If they're following Asami, then she can lead them into the perfect spot."

"If we deploy the gas, she'll be knocked out too."

Movement caught the Arrow's eye, and he whirled around to fire an arrow into the leg of an incoming guard. "But she'll be alive. Which is more than I can say if they discover she's working with us."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Just one problem. I heard Tony's voice over her link. _He_ knows she's working with us."

"He hasn't exposed her yet," Oliver pointed out.

"And he won't," Korra added. "The guy's in love with her. Or…at least _he_ thinks so."

Barry shivered visibly. "Let's not continue that line of thought, shall we? We need to get Asami in on the plan."

Their earpieces filled with static briefly. "I _know_ , Tony."

"Wait," Oliver said quietly. "Is she talking to him or—"

"You," Asami said flatly. "Of course I know."

They exchanged a look, then smiled, Korra putting a finger to her ear. "We're coming for you, just get them to the room and get out of there." She looked back to the others. "Let's move. We're gonna need the guards for this. Only they know how to operate the ventilation system."

"Right," Barry replied. "Let's move."

…

"Watch your left!"

Snart and a heavily scarred man both turned and fired opposing elements at two incoming guards from nearly identical guns, one's legs freezing, the other shrieking as he was lit on fire.

"No!" Asami screamed. "That's enough!"

The two criminals gave her a look, Snart's annoyed, the other man's downright enraged. The scarred one approached her, sticking the barrel of his gun in her face.

"Since when do we take orders from you?" he snarled.

Despite Tony's hair-trigger tension, she pushed him back and got up in the criminal's face. "Since _I_ decided to save your asses instead of just mine." She looked to the group. "That goes for _all_ of you, by the way. No killing. Or you can all stay here and rot."

Blackout approached her with slow, threatening steps. "I'm willin' to take my chances." He nodded to her. "Are you?"

Asami arched an eyebrow. "Really? There's a hundred men about to descend on us and infighting is your plan?"

"She's right," Snart drawled. "The sooner we get outta here, the sooner we can sort out who gets what." He looked over at her. "Lead the way, Sato. These stops are gonna kill us."

She rolled her eyes at his teasing tone and started moving again, nerves rising to a fever pitch as fear flooded her system.

…

Future Industries Airfield

Cisco and Eddie stared at their radio with blank expressions, exchanging similar horrified looks as the full gravity of the situation hit them. Evidently, it hit two others as well.

"They need our help."

The professor and Cisco whirled around in their seats to see Frost and Firestorm looking down at the radio.

"Absolutely not," Eddie replied immediately, rising from his chair.

"Yeah, I'm with him," Cisco added.

"Cisco," Caitlin began, "they're outnumbered, outmatched. If they even look at Asami wrong, she could be dead in an instant."

Eddie took them both by the arms. "Your conditions are too unstable. Cate, we don't know how rapidly you'll lose heat if you're out in the field, and Firestorm…your matrix is unstable enough. If you're in a fight, there's no telling how the energy inside you will react. In attempting to save our friends, you might just kill them all."

The couple frowned and exchanged a look, Firestorm speaking up. "We have to try. If we do nothing, they're dead." He looked over at Cisco and nodded to him. "How close are you to getting that splicer done?"

The engineer lifted his eyebrows. "Theoretically? Maybe half an hour, tops?"

Firestorm nodded slowly. "And if this…release happens, how will it happen?"

Eddie's lips pursed. "Not all at once, I can tell you that much. The chain reaction will take time to build, but by then…it may already be too late."

The hybrid frowned deeply. "Well, on the chance that it does happen, at least I'm twenty miles away from anything. Minimum safe distance, right?"

Caitlin and Cisco exchanged a look, the latter gulping hard. "Right."

"Then I need to go."

" _We_ need to go," Caitlin amended.

He gave her a look.

"Martin, you can't just leave me behind. This is my fight too."

He put his hands on her arms. "Be that as it may, my dear, the part of Ronald that lives inside me simply can't allow that, especially knowing what I do about your condition." His palm pressed against her pale cheek. "I'm sorry." He looked up at Eddie. "Let me know the moment that splicer is ready."

The professor nodded and pursed his lips. "Will do."

…

Secret blacksite

"How much further to the exit?"

Asami grunted. "Tony, pull your weight."

"What?" he whined. "I can't help it if you're a comfortable pillow."

She shot him a glare, quickly disrupted by Snart's amused cough. Her eyes rolled. "Not far. Just through this next door."

They entered a large rectangular room one by one, most of the metas looking around confusedly as they came to an abrupt halt.

Snart arched an eyebrow. "Well?"

She glanced around rapidly. "I'm thinking."

"Think faster!" his scarred partner yelled.

"Mick," Snart scolded. "Cool it." He dragged his gaze back to Asami. "Not sure how much longer I can hold my partner back."

"Or all of us, for that matter," Mark Mardon added.

"Just give me a minute," she insisted, hoping against hope that they were close.

…

"There's no _time_ for this! Either you shut those vents right now or innocent people are gonna die!"

The head of security eyed Korra with suspicion, still holding an electric baton in her direction as his head turned to one of his men and nodded sharply.

Korra put a finger to her ear. "Arrow, you're up."

"Roger. Dispensing now."

Several seconds passed without any word, Korra's nerves on a razor's edge as she put a finger to her ear. "Asami, can you hear me? Are you there?"

…

"Well well…looks like my first instinct was right after all."

"You don't want to do this," Asami warned, facing down Snart, Mick, and the rest of the Rogues as pale green mist came in through one of the vents, Clyde Mardon using his airbending to keep it suspended right next to the opening.

"To be honest," Snart replied, "no, I don't. But I don't particularly like being played, especially since I plead your case with the others." He nodded to Tony. "Hey tin man, better move." He snarled slightly, tilting his head downward. "You're blocking my shot."

Tony uncurled his arm from around her shoulders, causing the girl to stare at him openmouthed as he walked over to their side of the room, half a dozen metas pointing lethal elements in her direction.

"Tony," she breathed, an unexpected amount of hurt lancing through her chest.

His lips pursed. "Sorry, 'Sami."

His jaw clenched as his body was instantly encased in metal, arms rapidly extending to both sides as his fists impacted Mark and Gabriel solidly, knocking them out with one blow. Trey followed next, decked as he was with a wild haymaker. When he went for Snart, Girder was blown back by a wave of ice, his metal body taking it easily but the impact knocking him down all the same.

"Asami, run!"

She obeyed instantly, sprinting out the one remaining door with Blackout and Mick in tow as Snart and the rest stayed on Girder.

…

"Guys, I need help _now_!"

Barry put a finger to his ear. "Where are you?"

"Not sure," she gasped. "I just left the vent room, and at this point running seems like the only option!"

The Flash's lips pursed as he exchanged a look with the Avatar. "Don't worry. I'm on my way."

…

Asami ducked behind a crate in what looked like a large storage room, the lights here much dimmer and allowing for more concealment than anywhere she'd seen in the base so far. The sounds of two sets of footsteps reached her seconds after she entered, the hiss of ignited liquid an ever-present hum in the otherwise still air.

"I can feel your heat!" Mick yelled.

A moment's listening confirmed her suspicions. _This place is an echo chamber. They won't be able to tell where I am by sound._ "So what _is_ your obsession with heat, anyway? Does it have anything to do with those burn scars?"

Mick chuckled. "Something like that. There was a fire once, when I was doing a job for Snart. The job went sideways and I got burned. Literally."

She could hear him pacing, and a glance over her cover revealed him and Blackout splitting up.

"At first I was angry, enraged that he'd just left me to die, but after I'd escaped…when I took a look in the mirror, I understood."

Her brows furrowed as she pulled a metal shard from the crate. "Understood what?"

Mick whirled to his left and fired a stream of flame, lighting up to wooden crates and decreasing the amount of shadows left to hide in. "That the fire showed me who I really was, under all this…crude matter. It's incredible, really, how amazing flame is. Light, heat, energy. It's primal, uncontainable, undefinable." He grinned madly. "And deadly."

Another two spurts of flame were released in different directions, both arcs lighting up more crates and sending Asami scrambling for different cover.

"You want me to show you who you really are? That'd be fun."

"If I'm to be quite honest," she grunted, hoisting herself atop a stack of crates. "I want you to go to hell."

Asami fell into a mad sprint, hopping from one stack of crates to the next until Mick caught sight of her, then leaping upward and twist-flipping over his head as he opened fire. She landed behind him in a crouch and twisted into a trip kick. He hit the ground with a grunt, firing at the ceiling when she aimed the nozzle of his gun away from her with one hand while the other shocked him unconscious.

"Found you!"

Asami's head snapped up just in time for her to leap backward, the sizzle of a lightning bolt just missing her left arm. The woman attempted to vanish into the shadows once again, but Blackout was relentless, using Mick's flames to send arc after arc of fire her way, burning away cover until there was nothing left between them. He smiled malevolently, giving her a wave with one hand while the other sparked with energy. Finally he extended his arm and shot the bolt in her direction, her sideways roll the only thing that saved her. His second shot was off before she could recover completely, and this time she had no leverage to move.

Bracing herself for the searing pain, she slammed her eyelids shut, cracking them open a second later when nothing happened except an increase in nearby temperature. Her green eyes widened to saucers when she saw a wall of living metal between her and the lightning bender.

"Go," Tony grunted, holding his hands in an "x" in front of him as he pushed toward Gibran.

Asami cast a look between him and Blackout, pursing her lips and nodding, then taking off for the nearest exit.

…

"Where is she?"

Snart smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

The air around Korra's hands ignited as Cold and two other metas faced off with her. "I won't ask again."

"Okay," he replied, raising his gun and firing.

She opposed his assault with a fireblast that managed to keep his ice stream at bay, if just barely, as a woman on his left, a metalbender, mimicked Girder's ability and encased herself in multiple layers of thin metal armor.

"Amunet dear," said a bald man in the back, smirking malevolently, "would you mind making us a new exit? Our previous one seems to have been collapsed."

The woman turned to narrow her eyes at him, then nodded and marched over to the exit while Korra kept Snart in place with her fire stream. The doors looked like they had been twisted together just moments before the Avatar had confronted the metahumans. With a few well-aimed swings, "Amunet" shattered the bolts holding the hinges in place and tore the doors open. The bald man tipped his head to her as he walked past.

"Thank you, my dear."

Korra's eyes widened when she saw him effortlessly lift off the ground and float down the hallway, out of sight. Her vision eventually shifted back to Snart, whereupon she leapt sideways out of the path of his beam. An airbending maneuver sent Cold flying backward, Clyde making for her after hauling his brother Trey upright.

"Oh, not this again," she groaned, dodging sideways and twisting around an air blast from the Wizard.

Countering with a fireball, Korra made to capture Clyde with a feint and grab with her cables, but found her approach disrupted by a sandbending storm from Gabriel. Sending currents of air in all directions, she dispersed the sand and blasted herself upward. Water bent from her belt flasks and smacked Clyde back into a wall as Snart regained his footing and opened fire. Sending a stream of flame to her right, she dashed left and twisted midair, barely managing to keep ahead of the metas' relentless strikes until she leapt off a wall toward Captain Cold, deploying and shaping all of her cables to form a single round shield.

As she fell diagonally, her shield took the brunt of Cold's assault, his jaw dropping a moment before it slammed into his chest, disarming him of the water suppressor and catapulting him back into a wall. Rolling on impact with the ground, Korra spun toward the rest of the room, using the shield to block two more attacks, water and sand, from Trey and Gabriel. Quickly becoming overwhelmed, she withdrew toward Amunet and the bald man's exit, leaping through the doorway and breaking into a run.

"Flash, I just knocked out Captain Cold, and I've got the Mardon brothers in pursuit. Any ideas?"

"I'm still trying to find Asami. From what she's managed to say between bouts of running, it looks like Girder turned out to be her very unlikely bodyguard. He's facing off with Blackout right now."

Her eyes widened. "Oh spirits…that's not gonna turn out well."

Asami's scream split the radio link, stopping Korra in her tracks around the corner from the vent chamber.

"Asami! What's going on?!"

"He caught up to me! I need—spirits…no, don't!"

…

Asami's eyes widened to saucers. "Spirits…no, don't!"

She threw her hands up, the close quarters of the hallway constricting her movements too much to be able to dodge. A loud impact reached her ears an instant later as Girder tackled Blackout into a wall, the lightning bender sending another arc of electricity into his lower leg. Tony yelled and collapsed to one knee, but refused to let go of him. Asami dashed for Gibran, her electric glove flying toward his shoulder but stopping just shy of his skin when he grabbed her wrist. Girder squeezed his midsection hard, and a resounding crack echoed down the hallway as Blackout went limp in his arms.

He let him fall to the ground, collapsing a moment later as his metal skin receded in pieces, its surface fractured and steaming.

"Tony," she gasped, pulling him up into a rough sitting position with his head resting against her shoulder. "Tony, come on. Come on, he's down, we can leave. Tony…"

He grunted and sputtered several times, left hand pressing to his abdomen.

"Tony move your hand. Let me see."

The man looked up at her and reluctantly obeyed, exposing a three-inch black hole lancing straight through one of his kidneys. "And that's just the stuff you can see…not to mention all the other bits that are just…off." He winced hard, hissing out a breath.

"Tony…you're gonna be okay. We'll find a way to fix this. Korra will heal you right up, you'll see."

He looked up at her with an arched eyebrow. "'Sami. Come on. We both know there's no coming back from this."

A breath caught in her throat, her eyes closing against an intense sting as her lips pursed hard and her grip tightened around him.

"Don't cry for me," he ordered gently. "Trust me…there's no way I'd rather go out. Just promise me somethin'."

She opened her eyes and looked down at him.

"Don't ever change." He put an index to her sternum. "That light in you. The thing…that makes guys like me want to be better…don't ever lose that."

Asami stared at his dark eyes, so different from the mad windows she'd seen just a few months earlier, and felt something stir inside her. "I won't. I promise."

"Good." His voice was getting weaker. "That's good." His eyelids drifted shut.

"Tony," Asami whispered. "Tony," she repeated more forcefully, shaking him.

Finally, her eyes closed as she gently laid her forehead against his. A startled yelp vibrated through her throat when she felt something on her mouth, her eyes flying open to see Tony's lips on hers, his hand on the back of her head. Two full seconds passed before he disengaged, a gigantic grin on his face while she stared at him slack-jawed.

A series of uninhibited laughs exploded from Tony's throat. "Finally! Been waitin' _years_ to do that." He turned his eyes to look up at her, coughing once as red liquid trickled from his lips. "I'm sorry, 'Sami. I had to." His smile faded to a slight curve. "Just once."

A massive gust of wind snapped Asami from her stupor to look up at the newly arrived Flash. "Barry," she whispered.

Tony coughed again as he looked between the two animatedly. "Allen? Really?" Another series of laughs was cut off abruptly by a fit of violent coughs. "Never saw that one comin'." He nodded to the Flash. "Good for you, nerd."

Barry's head tilted with a "seriously?" expression, his hands vibrating and sparking as he crouched next to the dying meta. "Just hang in there you damn musclehead."

His palms pressed against Tony's injury firmly, causing him to hiss and grunt in pain as his cells were rapidly replaced. Finally, Girder stopped squirming, the kidney injury sealed up, if not completely repaired, and it seemed like he could stand again.

Barry gave him a firm look, glancing between his poorly hidden grin and Asami's beet-red face. His eyes finally settled onto Tony. "You're a pain in the ass, Tony, but if you can get her out of here, I will personally send you an engraved 'thank you.'"

He chuckled, scrambling to his feet, though one arm was still around Asami for support. "Pass, but I appreciate the thought. Now get going, nerd. There's a lot more nasty where he came from." He motioned to an unconscious Blackout.

Barry spared them both one last glance, Asami giving him a nod, before taking off into the hallways.

…

One attack after the next was exchanged as Korra and the Arrow were driven back step by step into the prison's courtyard, Oliver firing an explosive arrow at Amunet before ducking away from an incoming ice shard from Trey. One of his flechettes pierced the thigh of Gabriel Mardon, but he was bowled over when the flying bald man tackled and pinned him to the ground. Oliver's blue eyes narrowed.

"Nimbus," he snarled.

The man lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, so you know me, Arrow?"

Oliver's teeth gritted as he headbutted him solidly, grabbing him by the collar and holding him close. "You're on the List."

A pill-like object in Nimbus' left hand shattered, releasing a cloud of thick green gases that were airbent and forced into Oliver's lungs. The Arrow choked immediately, eyes going wide as the toxin started to set in, his body writhing.

Korra noticed. "Arrow!" She blasted Nimbus away with a water stream, then slid to his side and threw up an earth wall between her and the rest of the metas. "Flash, this is Korra. The Arrow's been attacked…I think he was poisoned."

The speedster was at her side in seconds, grabbing a gasping Oliver's shoulders firmly and lifting him onto his shoulder. "Can you hold out until I get back?"

Korra cast a doubtful look at the approaching metahumans, her eyes widening when a bright light descended from the night sky, an explosion of fire sending the superhuman crowd flying in separate directions as a new figure touched down. "Um…I'd say yes."

Barry cast the newly arrived Firestorm a nod before taking off for the airfield.

…

"That's it. Just a little further."

"Mhm."

Tony grunted one last time as Asami lowered him into a lifeboat, one of over four dozen scattered across the island. Most had already been taken by the fleeing guards, Eiling sure to have been among them, but there were still a few left. Once Tony was settled into a seat, she revved the engine of the boat and activated her earpiece.

"Guys, I got Tony to a boat. We're getting off the island right now."

"Good," Korra replied in a grunt after a few seconds, the sounds of fighting in the background. "Firestorm just arrived. We're keeping the metas busy until evac gets here."

"And when's that gonna be?"

"Soon—I hope."

Asami frowned deeply, but nodded. "Roger that. Stay safe, Korra."

"Doing my best."

…

The Avatar weaved around a half-dozen elemental attacks, Captain Cold having been rejoined by Mick with Amunet, Nimbus, and the Weather Wizards providing backup. The heroes' only advantage thus far had been in distance, but Nimbus kept dropping Amunet and some of the Wizards behind their firing line, not to mention his own airbending and toxin attacks using those pellets (which he seemed to be immune to). Firestorm had incinerated anything thrown their way from him, Korra simply airbending it away and holding her breath anytime he came close.

The Avatar had already been poisoned once by a flying airbender. She had no plans to do it again. Another ice shard from Trey was deflected with an earth wall, Cold's gun throwing Firestorm for a loop until he encased himself in a shell of pure heat. Korra ran around his side and pummeled him with an earth boulder, missing Amunet coming in on her right until it was too late. Her jaw went numb from the sudden impact, her head spinning as her mind struggled to catch up with the rapidly approaching ground. Groaning loudly, she tried to push herself upright but found her arms entrapped with her own cables, held up and out to the sides.

She struggled viciously against the restraints, seeing Firestorm trying to get to her but being held back by all the Weather Wizards at once. Her ocean blue eyes widened in horror when a smiling Nimbus landed in front of her and stalked until he was within arm's reach. He broke open another capsule, levitating the dense toxic fog in his grip just six inches from Korra's head as he crouched in front of the Avatar. His mad smile widened.

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Avatar. By the way." He brought his lips close to her ear. "Zaheer says hello."

Her eyes widened, then slammed tightly shut as she fought back against a vicious wave of flashbacks, her breathing increasing in speed until she was hyperventilating. The toxic cloud drifted ever closer, her mind bordering on hysteria as her body failed her…again.

"Korra?"

The voice brought the flashes to a halt.

"Korra, can you hear me? Are you okay?"

 _His voice…_ Her eyes opened to glare up at Nimbus as he pushed the cloud toward her face. A single breath entered her lungs, clean, clear air. It was blown out a moment later as a stream of flame proceeded from her mouth, incinerating the toxin and causing instant second-degree burns on Nimbus, who stumbled away, shrieking. Korra's left knee hit the ground hard, sending a chunk of earth flying up into Amunet's chest, knocking her back just enough to loosen her grip on the cables. Said cables then wrapped around her neck, tossing her over Korra's shoulder as hard as possible.

That said, seeing as how her oxygen levels were depleted from nearly a minute of hyperventilation, her aim was a little off—Amunet passed the walls of the island and splashed down in the middle of the ocean. At the moment, Korra couldn't bring herself to care. She just took a breath and put an index finger to her ear.

"Yeah, Bear. I am now." She smirked. "Has anyone ever told you that you have impeccable timing?"

"…"

Korra snickered. "Guess not."

An explosion from her left and a following yell got her attention, her eyes shifting to see a fully-ignited Firestorm pushing back the Mardon brothers. His yells, however, were not of fury, but frustration—and panic. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no," she whispered, breaking into a sprint toward him. "Firestorm! Martin!"

"I know!" he yelled back. "I'm trying!"

The metahumans abruptly stopped fighting, instead backing away and staring at the fiery spectacle with confused expressions.

"Martin, _please_ —"

"I know! I…I can't! I can't hold it in!"

Korra's expression shifted to one of horror as she turned to the confused metas with pursed lips. "If you value your lives, leave now."

Mick snorted and lifted his gun with a sneer.

Her head shook. "You don't understand. The reason you're as powerful as you are—most of you, anyway—is the same reason _he_ exists." She pointed at Firestorm. "But the process—it was unstable. The energy he creates, most of it's stored inside him, and it's about to release all at once. When that happens…you, me, this island, and everything within several _miles_ of here will be obliterated."

That stopped the lot of them in their tracks, the Mardons exchanging similar disbelieving looks.

Korra scowled. "Fine. Don't believe me, but don't come crying to me when you lot get incinerated."

Turning her back to them, she waterbent a sheet of liquid from her flasks, encasing him with it and trying to douse some of the flames. It turned to steam as soon as it touched his body. Frustration and panic built within her until a whir sounded from behind and a beam of ice suppressed all the flames. Korra turned back to see Snart's gun smoking at the barrel and gave him a look.

His head cocked. "What? I'm a criminal, not stupid. From the way things were looking, he was gonna go critical any second. That, at least, gives us all enough time to escape."

"Escape?" Mick demanded. "You really think I'm gonna miss the explosion of a lifetime?"

Snart scowled and grabbed him by the collar. "Yes, Mick, you are. Because if you don't, I'll freeze your ass and drag you along anyway. Let's. Go."

He roughly shrugged off Snart's hand but gave an accepting grunt, casting one last look at Korra before heading for the side.

Cold stopped halfway to the edge, then turned toward the rest of the Rogues. "If I were all of you, I'd get the hell out of here too."

The crime duo leapt off the side into a flash-formed ice boat propelled by flame jets from Mick's gun. The Mardon brothers stuck around another couple of seconds before following suit, Mark sending Korra an "I've got my eyes on you" motion before following his brothers. Nimbus was the last to go, giving the Avatar one last creepy smile, then taking off and snatching Amunet from the sea on his way out.

"You should go too," Firestorm said softly. "There's no telling when I'll go off, and I won't be responsible for killing the one person I always knew I could trust."

She cast him a mournful look. "Martin—"

"Just go. Please. This isn't something you can stop." He smiled. "For what it's worth…I'm glad I'm facing the end like this. I was…proud to fight alongside you." His smile faded to a concentrated grimace. "Now go!"

Korra gave him a single nod, then leapt off the side and water surfed her way back toward the shore. She cast a single look back at the island, seeing only the glare cast by Firestorm's body. On the fringes of that glare, however, she could've sworn that a lance of red energy streaked across the island, vanishing somewhere in the distance.

…

Future Industries Airfield

Caitlin put her stethoscope to Oliver's chest one last time, a concerned frown on her face for a few seconds before the corners of her lips turned upward, and she looked back up at Barry. "He's gonna be fine. The antidote did the trick."

Barry smiled and nodded, turning as Eddie returned from one of the fabrication labs downstairs. "Is it done?"

"It…is…now." He clicked on the radio link. "Firestorm, can you hear me? We finished the splicer." A few seconds passed. "Martin?"

"Martin can't hear you," Korra answered. "His earpiece is probably incinerated by now."

Barry's brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"It's his energy levels. He's going critical. If you have the splicer, you need to use it, _now_."

"Here," said Eddie, passing the large octagonal device to the speedster.

Caitlin intercepted it before Barry could, walking toward the exit.

"What are you doing?" Eddie asked.

"I'm going with him."

"No, you're not," Barry insisted.

"It's too dangerous," Eddie added.

"Barry doesn't know how to operate the splicer," she countered.

"Cisco will talk me through it," Barry replied.

"There's no time." She gave him a pleading look, to which he eventually caved.

"Let's go."

The Flash picked her up and took off toward the island at max speed, passing Asami's boat and Korra's surfing form on the way back.

"Be safe, Barry," the latter said over the radio.

"Always."

Caitlin and Barry arrived at the island in less than two minutes after they'd left the airfield, a record time for him. The pair stopped just fifteen feet from Firestorm, who was looking off into the horizon peacefully. That peace was shattered the moment he saw Caitlin.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "You can't be here!" He looked at Barry. "Get her out of here, _now_!"

"Please," Cate pleaded, rushing toward him. "Look. Ronnie's still in there somewhere. If there's even a chance this can work—"

His white eyes stared into her pale blue ones as he smiled a little. "I admire your devotion."

"This is a quantum splicer. It's going to bombard your cells with enough energy to mimic what happened the night of Harmonic Convergence. If you try to break off once that reaches critical mass, it _should_ work to separate you."

"I understand."

Cate stared at him for a moment. "Ronnie…if you're in there, I love you."

He looked at her for a few more seconds before pulling her into a fierce kiss, causing Barry's eyebrows to hike upward.

When they broke apart, Firestorm looked down at her with a tender expression. "That was from him."

She smiled back at him. "I look forward to meeting you in person, Martin."

The device was placed onto his chest, over his heart, and immediately started thrumming and glowing red as three arms snapped outward, planting onto the right side of his chest. His hands and head ignited almost immediately, the flames quickly expanding to cover his entire body.

Cate's head shook rapidly. "No, no, _no_ , it's not working!"

…

From quite a distance away, Asami watched it all unfold on her boat. "He's not gonna make it." She tapped her earpiece. "He's gonna blow. Get out of there! Barry, get out of there right now!"

...

Barry turned to Caitlin and started pulling her away despite her protests. "Caitlin, we have to go!"

Firestorm turned to them and backed away. "Run!"

"No!" Cate screamed once more as her feet left the ground, Barry moving her in a cradle carry as they sped from the island toward the shoreline.

The detonation was, in a word, spectacular, instantly obliterating the majority of the concrete and platinum island, the rest flung in pieces up to three miles away from the blast site. Barry barely managed to outrun the resulting wave, stopping when he and Caitlin reached Asami's boat, just outside the effective radius of the explosion. The pair stopped and stared at the gigantic mushroom cloud rising from the remains of Eiling's prison for nearly a full minute. Asami's quiet voice broke the silence.

"I did tell Eiling I would burn his operation to the ground." She looked down and away. "I just didn't want it to happen like this."

Cate just stared blankly at the wreckage, her lips barely parted, an expression of sheer shock on her face.

Barry put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Cate. We have to go."

"No," she replied.

"Caitlin."

She whirled on him. "Barry, I once made the mistake of thinking Ronnie was dead. I won't do it again. Not until I find a body."

She was so earnest, he didn't have the heart to tell her that Firestorm's body was likely atomized in the explosion, so instead he picked her up and ran back toward the island—what was left of it, anyway. The devastation was unparalleled compared to anything Barry had seen before. Even the 1/172 attacks paled in comparison to the sheer flattening power of Firestorm's eruption. Caitlin moved toward the general vicinity of where they'd seen Firestorm last, gasping when she came to a stop. Barry zipped up alongside her, he too becoming rooted to the spot when he saw Ronnie lying right next to a humanoid, ancient-looking spirit with gray eyelids and pale white skin.

Caitlin immediately rushed to her fiancé's body and gingerly lifted his head, the breath catching in her throat when she saw his eyes flutter open. "Tell me your name."

He blinked up at her a few times, a grin slowly spreading over his face. "Ronnie Raymond." The man immediately pulled his fiancé into a fierce kiss, pulling away a few seconds later. "It's me, Cate. I'm right here."

"Uh, pardon me."

The three turned to the rather disoriented-looking spirit.

"Would it be possible to leave this spirits-forsaken place before there's another explosion?"

Caitlin shook her head with a smile, laying her head against Ronnie's chest. "I doubt there's much chance of that now."

Barry's own grin faded slowly as he stared at the doctor openmouthed. "Cate. Your eyes."

She looked over at him. "What?"

He approached her along with Martin, who stared at her with open interest.

"He's right," Ronnie said. "Your eyes, and your skin…they're back to normal."

She stared at her hands for a few moments, then looked back up at Ronnie with a smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I blame you, Mr. Raymond."

He grinned at her. "I can live with that."

They kissed once more, both Barry and Martin clearing their throats loudly. They didn't care. They just grinned and held hands.

"Um. I can't exactly carry you both at once," Barry said.

Ronnie smirked. "Don't mind us, Barry. Caitlin's just a little on cloud nine at the moment."

She looked up at him openmouthed. "And you're not?"

He just chuckled and shook his head. "Let's go home."

…

2 hours later

Future Industries Airfield

"We can't stay. Even if this reversion _is_ permanent, the climate's too hot right now. Too many people are looking for Cate, and…personally, I think it'll do both of us some good to get away from it all for a while."

Asami smiled and nodded. "I understand. Where will you go?"

Ronnie exchanged a look with his fiancé. "I dunno. I guess…wherever the road leads us."

"All _three_ of us," Martin added.

Ronnie sighed hard. "I thought we agreed that we'd spent more than enough time together."

Martin smirked. "And yet I find myself unwilling to part just yet. Even within the last two hours, it's been apparent to us both, if I'm not mistaken, that our connection runs deeper than simply on the physical level. With both of your permission, I'd like some time to study it, now that we're no longer in danger of spontaneously combusting."

Caitlin smiled and tipped her head. "We'd be happy to."

Ronnie's head snapped in her direction. "We would?"

She chuckled and grinned. "Come on. We're all scientists here. Besides, I've never exchanged ideas with a spirit before."

"Happy to lend my expertise," Martin said with a tilt of his head.

Cate turned to Barry and let go of Ronnie's hand to wrap her arms around the speedster's midsection tightly. "Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder. "If you hadn't been there…"

He smiled and held her back. "You know if you ever need my help, you only have to ask, and I'm there."

She let him go and took a step back, taking Ronnie's hand once more. The doctor turned when she saw a rather pale Oliver Queen step out of the medical room, hands in his pockets. "Mr. Queen, I hope you'll do your best to take it easy from here to Ba Sing Se. Hydrogen cyanide is nothing to trifle with."

He smirked. "Didn't think I was known for trifling."

She gave him a look.

The billionaire grinned and held up his hands. "But I'll do my best, Doctor."

"Good." A glum-looking Cisco was her next point of focus as she approached him and pulled him into her arms. "I am gonna miss you. A lot."

"You too," he managed. Cisco held her arms when she pulled away, jabbing a finger in her face. "You call, you write, understand? If I don't hear from one or both of you every week at the least, I'm comin' to find you."

Barry laughed. "And I'll help him."

The couple smiled and nodded, Ronnie putting an arm around his fiancé's shoulders. "We'll keep that in mind." He cast his eyes toward Professor Thorne and gave him a firm nod, which the scientist returned with a smile. "Anyways…we better get goin', Cate. Before the chief busts down the door and _makes_ us go."

Caitlin smiled and nodded into his chest. "Goodbye for now, all of you. You'll always be in our thoughts."

"Same," Asami replied.

One by one, the traveling trio filed out the door, but Martin stopped in the doorway, casting a grim look in Barry's direction. The speedster's lips pursed, and he nodded slowly in understanding. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Korra picked up on the exchange, but ignored her for the moment. Once Martin and the others had left, he turned to and approached Oliver.

"So, you heading back to Ba Sing Se?"

"Soon as you can take me," the Arrow replied.

Barry nodded. "It's nice to know I have backup."

Oliver smirked and looked off to the side. "And I hope the same can be said for me."

The speedster smiled and nodded. "Of course. Always."

"Good. Now, if there's nothing else, I'd like to go sleep in my actual bed, please."

Barry's head cocked to the side. "Actually…there is one thing…"

…

3 hours later

United Forces encampment, 50 miles west of Republic City

General Wade Eiling knocked back another glass of refined scotch as he absently ran an index over a pale white scratch at the base of his neck. He had to admit, the Sato girl was quite a capable opponent. Matching wits with the woman had been…exhilarating. He hadn't had quite that much of a challenge in years, not since he'd nearly been court-martialed by Commander Bumi when he was still a Colonel. The memory of the encounter caused by the touch of the scratch brought the twitch of a smile to his face. It vanished when he felt the glass slip from his fingers and his stomach rocket to one side of his body. He blinked, and the next thing he knew, he was out in the mountains, the pitch black of just after midnight all around him.

Upon turning around, he saw a familiar red-clad form walking toward him, his cowl pulled back to reveal the face of a very unhappy Barry Allen.

"We need to talk," he said firmly.

A smirk played over Eiling's features. "What about? You've already leveled my operations against your kind. What more damage could you do apart from eliminating me from the equation?"

His head shook. "That's not how I do things." He pointed his eyebrows at the general. "It is, however, how _you_ do things, General. We both know you won't stop hunting metahumans. As much time and resources were dedicated to that island in the South Sea, you'll just find a way to rebuild your work, keep trying to weaponize people like me."

Eiling shrugged. "It's true, I'll admit. Metahumans are a remarkable new force in this world, potentially either its saviors or destroyers. You fight against what I do, but even you yourself have seen the kind of devastation caused by others of your kind. One with your own abilities, I might add. How is the world supposed to survive without countermeasures against that kind of power?"

Barry winced. "You talk plenty about protecting people, but who have you really protected, General? You assaulted police officers, kidnapped an innocent woman, and subjected citizens of the United Republic to examinations and torture against their will."

"They were criminals. Prisoners of the state. By the very nature of their crimes, they forfeited their right to choose."

"That's a crap argument, and you know it. Your 'operation' is supposed to be a counter for people like Snart and Girder, yet in all those cases, you wanna know who stopped them? Metahumans. People like me and Firestorm and the Avatar. Not megalomaniac paramilitaries who think they're above the law."

Eiling chuckled. "But I _am_ above the law. Upon seeing video records of what the Reverse-Flash was able to do to seasoned members of his police force, the president _himself_ granted me and my division the Fifth Freedom."

His eyes widened.

"You're a smart guy. You know what that means. Which also means that even if you _could_ tie me to that island—what's left of it, anyway—you'd never bring me to court."

Barry was silent a long time, a dangerous glint entering his eyes as he paced toward the general. "That may be, but I know a few acquaintances of yours who'd be _very_ interested to know that you survived that explosion."

Eiling gave him a long look. "Are you threatening me, Mr. Allen?"

"Nope. I'm delivering an ultimatum." He got up in Eiling's face. "If you come after me, or _any_ of my friends _ever_ again, I will make sure every last _one_ of them knows where you hang your head. That's a promise."

The general stared him down for a long time, eventually giving him a slow nod. "Understood."

When the speedster turned away, Eiling spoke up again.

"Didn't expect that kind of play from you. Well done."

The Flash just snorted and pulled up his cowl, briefly tilting his head to the side. "Desperate times."

When he shot out of sight, Eiling stared after his lightning trail for a while, sighing. "Desperate measures."

…

Aang Memorial Hospital

 _"I'm sorry."_

The words echoed in Asami's head even as she sat by Tony's bedside, the grip his hand had on hers still strong, but growing weaker by the minute. It was less than an hour earlier that the doctors had delivered the news: he was dying. Despite Barry's best efforts to heal him, the extent of the damage done to Tony's body by repeated lightning strikes was beyond the scope of modern medicine…maybe _any_ medicine. Now it was just a matter of minutes.

"'Sami?"

She looked up at him with a small smile. "Yes, Tony?"

He frowned back at her. "You're gonna keep your promise, right?"

Tears pricked at her eyes as her smile widened and she nodded. "Of course." She gripped his hand tighter. "I always do."

He nodded slowly. "I know. Just wanted to make sure."

A knock sounded on the door.

"Come on," Asami called.

Both of their eyes widened when of all people, Barry Allen stepped through, his first look cast to the prone metahuman.

To Asami's surprise, Girder laughed and gave him a nod. "'Sup, nerd? Where ya been?"

Barry smiled and sat on Tony's other side, his eyes going over his damaged body. "Making sure this never happens again." He looked up at Asami. "I spoke to Eiling. We had an interesting discussion. If he knows what's good for him, he'll stay away from us, at least for a while." His smile faded. "I'm sorry, Tony. I'm sorry this happened."

Tony shrugged. "Was gonna happen sooner or later. I'm just glad it was for a good reason." He squeezed Asami's hand.

Barry stared at their locked appendages, his gaze slowly shifting back to his childhood bully. "I uh…I can't stay. There's a…conversation I need to have with someone important. I just wanted to say…thank you."

Tony arched a surprised eyebrow.

Barry clasped his hands. "For all our differences, without you…I never would've learned to stand up for myself. Never would've been able to push the limits of what I can do, either as Barry Allen or the Flash. You helped make me who I am today, and when it counted, you were a hero." He gripped Tony's forearm. "Thank you."

Tony smirked. "Well, it ain't exactly engraved, but…" he shrugged, "I'll take it."

Barry chuckled and patted his arm one more time before standing up. "Goodbye, Tony."

He nodded to the speedster. "See ya around, nerd."

A few seconds later, they were alone again, and Tony had a small smile on his face. "Ya know…I never thought I'd see the day when I actually kinda liked that guy."

Asami smiled. "And I never thought I'd see the day when we were all friends."

"Ugh, I wouldn't go _that_ far." He coughed several times, rather painfully. "More like…frenemies."

She chuckled. "Fair enough."

They looked at each other for a long, time, Asami's smile slowly fading as liquid trailed down her cheek. Tony wiped it away with his free thumb.

"It's not fair," she whispered. "You don't deserve to go out. Not now. Not like this."

"No, I don't." Tony's grimaced. "I deserved a lot worse than to die standin' up for someone like you. Someone worthwhile." He smiled again, fitful coughs interrupting his speech. "But I did. And that's okay, Asami. It's okay…because for just a little bit…you looked at me like I was worth it. Like I was somebody important."

She gripped his hand tightly. "You were _always_ important to me."

He nodded. "I know. But you could never see me the way I wanted you to…until now, I think."

"Tony—"

"Shh…I know. I don't wanna make this any harder than it already is." Another violent fit of coughs. "So let's make this simple, yeah? It was nice…knowin' you again—" Cough. "Just like old times. I'm sorry things never worked out. Would've loved that."

Her hand was like a vise around his as his voice became quiet.

"But I gotta go now, gorgeous. I gotta go." A long series of violent coughs. "When this is all over…meet me at the bar." His voice dropped to a pained whisper, his lips turning upward into a large smile. "Love to buy you a drink."

Tears streamed down Asami's face freely, both hands curled around his as he erupted into a never-ending fit of coughing, pain etched over every inch of his features until it started to calm nearly a minute later, his eyes finding hers as his breathing slowed. Tony's eyelids fluttered closed as his lips turned upward one last time, his final breath passing through the room like the last rains of fall.

* * *

AN: Three chapters in as many days. Think I finally got my edge back. Sorry about the absurdly long chapter. Seem to be getting that bad habit back full-force, but hey, it's better than not writing at all.

At any rate, I hope you like how all this turned out and are looking forward to the final stages of Act I. Act II should be a bit shorter (I hope), since I have an actual timeline of events to go off in Book Four. I expect that this should be done sometime before the end of my academic year, which, yes, I know is a long time off, but still. I don't want to make promises I can't keep.

As always, please review and recommend me to your friends.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - The Nuclear Man: attaching the splicer/detonation/"Let's go home"


	29. Suspicious

Suspicious (adj): having or showing a cautious distrust of someone or something.

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

10 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Cisco laid the phone in its cradle rather gingerly, his expression glum as he slowly looked up at the metahuman couple. "That was Asami. Tony just bought it."

Barry's pursed his lips, wincing as he nodded slowly. "Thanks, Cisco."

The engineer nodded and walked out of the control room, leaving Korra and Barry alone. The Avatar looked over at him with worried eyes, tapping his shoulder after a few seconds.

"Hey. You okay?"

He barely glanced at her, his eyes focused on something in the distance. "Yeah…and no."

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" he slumped into a nearby seat with a sigh, "this is all my fault."

She sighed and sat on his lap, arm around his shoulders. "Barry, we've _talked_ about this."

His head shook slowly, his gaze still unfocused. "No, you don't understand." His jaw tightened. "Martin told me not to tell anyone, but…I need to offload this to _someone_."

Both her arms went around his neck. "Talk to me."

Slowly, he dragged his gaze up to her. "Korra…the past few days…were never supposed to happen."

She stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"At least…that's what Martin told me. He said that…the universe has a way of doing things, a prescribed plan already set in motion."

"Barry, you're not making any sense."

He let out a long breath. "No, I'm not. Not yet. And this is gonna sound crazy, but the longer I talk, the more rational it's gonna appear."

Her lips pursed, gaze intense and focused on him. "I'm listening."

Barry then went into a long, drawn-out explanation about what had happened the first time around, the deterioration of Caitlin's condition, Mako's death, and his resulting chase of the Reverse-Flash. He explained that the immense speed he achieved to chase down the hostile speedster had allowed him to tear a hole in the very fabric of time and space and reset the day. Everything that had happened up to Caitlin's rescue the second time around was never supposed to happen.

When he was finished, Korra stared off to the side for a few moments, eyebrows knitted. "So…the metas getting kidnapped, Firestorm going boom, Tony dying…you're saying all that is a result of you changing the future?"

He shrugged. "It's the only explanation, because at the time Asami was visiting Tony at HQ, she was supposed to be at the airfield prepping a mission to save Caitlin and trap the Reverse-Flash. Maybe HQ _had_ been hit while we were working elsewhere, but I doubt it." He scrubbed his face. "Tony…Oliver…that pedestrian Cate sapped. How many people are gonna get hurt because I changed _one_ thing?"

She grabbed his face in both her hands, angling it up at her. "Listen to me, Barry Allen. What you did, you did because you didn't know for sure whether or not anything bad would come of it. And you _saved_ Caitlin. Saved Mako. I…don't mean to be callous, because trust me, I hear everything you're saying, but…would you really be willing to trade their lives for the ones who died?"

"I—I don't know." He looked down and away. "I just don't know. I screwed with time, and now time is screwing with me."

Korra sighed softly. "What's done is done, Bear. You may have the _ability_ to change things back to the way they 'should've been,' but you're not going to, are you?"

His head shook. "No, because if I do, I'm afraid I might screw things up even worse."

"Well…that's enlightening."

Both their heads snapped up to the exit doorway, where a blurred yellow figure stood leaning against the doorframe. The Avatar and the Flash were on their feet in an instant, both taking offensive stances.

The Reverse-Flash just chuckled. "Just here to deliver a message. Dropped off a little present at the police station earlier. Your boss should be calling any minute now to deliver the good news." He straightened up. "That's all. See ya later, Flash."

Barry lunged for him, but the Reverse-Flash phased through the wall and vanished before Barry could get outside the building. When he returned, he was winded and flushed.

"He's gone," he breathed. "I couldn't catch him. He's too fast. Always too fast."

Korra nodded slowly and glanced over at the phone. "What do you think that 'present' he mentioned was?"

Barry frowned. "Nothin' good, I'm sure."

The phone rang as he finished talking, and the couple exchanged a look before the speedster picked up.

"Hello?"

"Allen," Lin said, "you're not gonna believe this."

He glanced at Korra. "Try me."

"You told me that Woodward knocked Blackout clean unconscious on that island before it blew."

His brows furrowed. "Yeah?"

"Then explain to me how a man who's supposed to be dead is now sitting back in his containment cell."

Barry's eyes widened. "Say _what_?"

"Yeah, I didn't believe it either. So I take it this wasn't you?"

His head shook. "Too busy tryin' to save people that mattered. Didn't have time to go back for him."

"That's what I thought…but it sounds like you know something about this."

"Maybe," he admitted. "Doesn't make any sense though." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "Blackout _worked_ for him. Why would he just…" The speedster's head shook hard. "Thanks for the update, Chief. Just…keep an eye on him, will you?"

"Two eyes, and the whole _station_ , long as I can spare them."

"Thanks." He set the phone back in its cradle, staring at the ground for a few seconds, disoriented. "He sent Blackout back to jail. That was the present."

Korra stared at him agape. "Why?"

Barry frowned deeply, casting a gaze over to the airfield's copy of his crime board. "I don't know. And that's what worries me."

…

1 month, 2 weeks later

Police HQ

11 months, 2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

"That's the third one this _week_."

Mako frowned deeply. "I know. It's beyond weird now. It's downright creepy."

Barry snorted. "Can say _that_ again."

His ice-blue eyes shifted to their newest case, a string of killings where the victims were all public officials of some capacity, and the murder weapon was a rather familiar toxin: hydrogen cyanide. Lethal poison, dispensed in gaseous form and contained, far as he could tell, to specific victims, some even killed in the middle of a crowd. Thus far, the pattern, if there even was one, had eluded the police, but when Lin walked into Barry's lab with a file in her hand and a sour look on her face, he had a feeling things were about to clear up. Or get much, much worse.

Mako spoke to her first. "Good news or bad news, Chief?"

Lin glanced between the two boys. "Bit of both, I'm afraid. The prime suspect you mentioned? The metahuman, Nimbus? I think I finally figured out why he's been targeting these specific people." She slapped the file on Barry's desk. "He's on the List."

Barry's eyes widened. "Of course he is. Korra said she vaguely remembered hearing Zaheer's name at some point during their scuffle. That's probably where he learned to airbend so well."

"And fly," Mako added.

Barry nodded. "So we know his pattern now, but there are too many public officials in Republic City to keep track of, so how do we predict his next targets?"

"That I don't know yet," Lin answered. "But before you start slaving away at solving _that_ problem, you need to hear my other piece of news."

The speedster looked up at her. "Okay?"

Her lips pursed, the upper one twitching almost unnoticeably. "Blackout's been asking for you. By name. Says he needs to tell you something."

Barry's expression darkened considerably, his eyes turning away to stare at one of his chemical shelves. A lot had happened in the last month and a half: Firestorm being forced to re-merge by a hostile group of Count Vertigo's troops, Eddie working with the police on a permanent containment system for the Reverse-Flash, and the long-delayed and long-awaited trial of Farooq Gibran, of which Barry had been a star witness. Even without the testimony of Mako, Korra, and a host of other witnesses that had come forward at the trial, everyone knew he was a dead man. The sentencing hearing had proceeded just two weeks after his conviction, pronouncing him slated for execution by month's end. After delivering his testimony, Barry had remained silent for over five hours, even after the proceedings had ended and he had returned home to Mako's apartment.

Much like how Barry's lab remained utterly silent for several minutes after Lin's declaration.

The man himself was the one to break the silence. "All right." He stood slowly. "I should at least see what he wants, even if it's just to ignore him and walk away."

Lin nodded. "I had the place cleared for you."

"Thanks," he replied, voice barely above a whisper.

The assassin's holding cell was in sight in seconds, Gibran's arms locked in a set of restraints that encased the entirety of his hands and his arms nearly up to the elbow in highly conductive metal, so that if he ever tried to fry his way out, the only thing getting cooked would be him. When Barry was in sight, Blackout immediately straightened and stood up, making his way to the speedster's side of the cell.

He nodded to Barry. "I didn't think you'd come."

Barry smiled sardonically. "I almost didn't."

He gave him another nod. "Well, you're gonna be glad you did…'cause I need a favor from you."

Barry snickered humorlessly. "Really?"

"Yeah. I need you to petition for a stay of my execution."

All the humor vanished from his face instantly. "And why in _hell_ would I ever do that?"

"Because…" he leaned in close to the bars, "I know where your dad is."

Barry blinked hard. "So do I. Sitting six feet under a cemetery, in a grave _you_ put him in."

Blackout's head shook slowly. "No, man. That's not what happened that night."

The CSI gave him a murderous look.

He backed away from the bars. "Tell me somethin'. Did you ever manage to ID your old man's body?"

Barry shrugged. "Of course not. It was burned beyond recognition. The fire did that to him. Or you did."

Gibran smirked. "But your mom was perfectly identifiable, wasn't she?"

The speedster's eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"

He shrugged and started pacing with a smug air. "Nothin'. Just that things aren't always as they appear…Flash."

Barry snarled a little. "They rarely are." He turned for the exit.

"Wait, what are you doin'?"

"Ignoring you, which is exactly what I should've done when I heard you were asking for me."

The lightning bender smashed his restraints against the bars. " _Listen_ to me, dammit. You think _he_ put me here as a token of good faith? Really?"

Barry whirled on him. "I don't know _why_ the hell he put you here. To be frank, I don't know why he does _anything_. All I know is that you're responsible for the deaths of far too many people for me to support you in _any_ way." He snarled. "You're gonna burn in hell, Gibran. And when it's all said and done, I'm gonna be the guy that put you there."

Gibran stared at him blankly, mouth agape, as he stalked out of the room, the door slamming behind him.

…

20 minutes later

Sato Estate

"Two-hundred!"

Korra gasped as she went limp on the floor of the estate's gym, her abs feeling like they'd just gone through an industrial grinder, then tossed onto a frying pan and overcooked for a few hours. A few heavy breaths went in and out of her lungs before she saw Asami's smiling face upside-down above her, the woman's hand appearing a moment later. She hauled the Avatar to her feet, Korra getting her footing somewhat shakily as she wiped the back of her hand across her forehead.

"Well…you're coming along nicely."

Korra arched an eyebrow at her friend's declaration, glancing over to a nearby mirror to see her figure streaming in sweat, midriff and arms exposed, her shoulders heaving. "Thanks…I guess." She wiped her hands on her pants, the back of her arm sliding over her forehead as she strode over to a bench and grabbed a large flask of water, downing it in seconds. She moved onto her second before Asami could even comment. A gasp of air was necessary after not breathing for nearly a minute, the Avatar sitting down hard, one hand going to her numbly sore gut.

Asami sat down next to her. "So, what, is that like a record for you?"

Korra snorted. "No, actually. _My_ record is somewhere along the lines of _three_ hundred…but baby steps…right?"

She smiled and patted her arm. "Right."

A gust of wind entered the gym, and Korra's tired features broke out into a broad smile at the sight of her boyfriend. It petered out as soon as she saw the expression on his face. She was on her feet in less than a second, approaching him with measured steps. "Barry? You okay?"

He glanced around uncomfortably. "I…I don't know."

Asami also rose and took his arm, leading him to the bench so he sat between them. "Talk to us."

"It's…it's Blackout. He said…he said my father's still alive."

The girls' eyes widened as they exchanged a look, Korra lacing her fingers with his. "Barry, he's lying."

"Is he though?" he asked, looking up at her. "I was never able to actually _identify_ the second body at the scene. We just _assumed_ that it was my dad. But what if…"

"What if…what?"

Realization crossed over his features. "Oh spirits…the board. The _board_."

Korra arched an eyebrow. "Barry? You're not making any sense."

He shot her a grin and kissed her soundly, then leapt to his feet. "Meet me at the airfield in ten, okay? And bring everyone."

"Um."

He was gone the next second.

Korra exchanged a look with Asami, staring off at the door he left open in his wake. "Okay?"

…

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

By the time Mako and Lin arrived, Barry was starting to pace a hole in the floor at superspeed, his entire body vibrating at a small degree, but just enough to be noticeable.

"All right, Bear," Eddie said finally. "We're all here. What's so important?"

The CSI grinned and motioned to the crime board. "Li Gris."

Cisco stared at him confusedly. "Who?"

"The second assassin in Barry's house seven years ago," Mako answered. "The one who killed Nora Allen."

"Okay," Eddie started, "what about him?"

Barry pointed at a picture of Gibran. "In not so many words, Blackout said that _my_ father was _alive_ , that the burnt body we found with my mother wasn't Henry Allen." He slid over to articles of Gibran's sightings and confirmed kills. "Every year since that night, I've found records of Blackout's operations…but nothing of his partner. I always thought it was because he was extremely low-profile, preferred clandestine jobs, but what if I've been looking at it all wrong this whole time?" He pointed to the crime scene photos of his house. "What if _Gris_ was the body at the scene, and not my dad?"

More than a few jaws dropped.

Lin's wasn't one of them. "If your father survived that night, why wouldn't we have heard from him? It doesn't make any sense."

"No. Not unless _Blackout_ took him from the scene."

"And why would he do that?" Mako asked. "He was contracted to _kill_ him, not kidnap him."

"Or was he?" Barry countered. "Two highly skilled, highly trained assassins sent after the same job, to kill a family of _nonbenders_? Is it just me, or does that sound like overkill to you?"

Silence was his answer.

"My theory? The Reverse-Flash hires Blackout and Gris, but tells Gibran that only one of them is walking out. His _real_ mission was to murder my mother and stage it so that it _looked_ like Henry died there too. Instead, he takes my dad prisoner and keeps him for seven years."

Korra's head shook. "Again, why? What use could he possibly have for your dad?"

Mako's eyes narrowed. "Leverage."

The room turned to him.

He gave them all a glance before nodding at the board. "When I was running my own investigation into the Reverse-Flash, I discovered a pattern to everything that's happened in the last six months. Every appearance of a metahuman has forced Barry to up his game, to get faster and faster for some reason. Because he took all my research, I never found out what that might've been, but it could be that he left Blackout behind because he's seen the _fulfillment_ of that reason. That he's seen you're fast enough."

Barry shrugged. "For what?"

Mako threw his hands up. "I haven't the faintest clue. But whatever it is, he knows you have it now, and he's gonna—"

"Use my dad as leverage to get it," Barry finished. He looked back to the board. "It makes perfect sense now. Blackout was never meant to kill me six months ago. He was just the messenger." His voice grew nearly silent. "Always just the messenger."

Asami looked at him in concern. "Barry?"

"I just uh…I need a minute." The speedster strode from the control center into his suit storage room.

"I'll go check on him," he heard Korra say to the others before she entered and closed the door behind her.

He whirled to face her. "The time jump."

She nodded. "When he overheard our conversation, he knew."

"And he delivered Blackout to the cops knowing that he'd put all his cards on the table once his sentence was delivered." Barry threaded his fingers through his hair. "Why? Why does he need me? He's faster, far faster than I am, even pushing myself past my limits."

Korra frowned. "I don't know, but you don't think that's as important as finding your dad."

His head shook firmly. "Not by a long shot. If there's even a _chance_ he's alive…" He looked toward the door, then sped out before anyone could ask him where he was going.

…

2 minutes later

Police HQ

A gust of air washed over Blackout's despondent form, rousing him from a half-doze.

"Allen?"

"My dad," Barry said sharply. "What do you know?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh, so _now_ you wanna talk."

The speedster smirked nastily, vanishing for a moment, then returning with the cell's keys in his hands. The door was open a second later, and Barry stepped inside. It slammed shut behind him.

Gibran's eyes widened. "Wait, what are you—"

The Flash slammed him against one of the cell's walls hard, both hands fisting in his collar. "I have neither the time nor patience for games right now, so you better spill."

"No way in hell. Not until you promise me clemency."

"I'm not asking for a location, I'm asking for an explanation."

"And you'll get neither unless you get me a stay of execution."

Barry's eyes narrowed. The next second he turned Gibran about and kicked the back of his knee, tearing the ligaments severely. The shackled assassin howled in pain as he hauled him back upright, a sour taste in his mouth.

"What really happened that night?"

Gibran stayed tight-lipped. Barry punched him in the face—hard. Something cracked.

"What happened?!"

He spat bloody saliva and sneered. "You get nothin' if I'm dead."

"I'm not gonna kill you. But there are fates worse than death."

Blackout's eyes widened at the wild look in Barry's, his jaw dropping as the speedster began vibrating his right arm.

"You know…I've never tried this before. Phasing, that is. I suppose it's as easy as vibrating as fast as inhumanly possible and just…goin' for it." Barry knelt, his arm still vibrating. "But I also hear that if it's done wrong, whatever you try to phase through gets messed up." He lowered the appendage to within three inches of Blackout's body. "So what would you rather lose? An arm? A leg?" His hand shifted just over his abdomen. "The ability to walk?"

Gibran gulped hard. "You wouldn't."

Barry snarled. "Try me."

Blackout stayed silent.

Barry's arm lowered with purpose.

"Okay! Okay…I don't…I don't actually know where he is. But he's alive. _He_ has Henry."

His hand stopped vibrating. "Yeah, I'd guessed that much. I want to know what happened the night my mother died."

"Okay…okay. Just…give me a minute."

"You've got ten seconds."

"All right! That night…your dad…after he pushed you, he fought back. I tried to get a clean shot, but he just kept moving. Eventually, I just said the hell with it, and fired anyway. The bolt just knocked him out, but that's because most of its energy hit Gris instead."

Barry's eyebrows furrowed. "You killed him on accident?"

"'Course I did. Your man in yellow? He wanted the whole family dead, but when I saw my partner go down…I knew somethin' was off. The whole job was just too damn easy. So I took your old man. Torched the place, and made sure Gris was unrecognizable. Figured I'd have a word with him in private, find out why the pay was so good to eliminate a normal doctor and his family. But the man in yellow…he found me first. Thought he was gonna kill me, but he just stood there, for like a minute. And then he paid me the rest and took him off my hands." He shrugged. "Just like that."

"And you never heard from him again?"

Gibran's head shook. "Naw, man. But I'm sure he's been watchin'. Waiting. Dunno for what. I don't know why he's so obsessed with you, other than the fact that you can do the same thing."

Barry's eyes narrowed. "Unless we can't."

"What?"

He looked up. "Nothing." Barry glanced down at Blackout's injured leg. "Keep that as still as possible. Don't want the connective tissue to tear any more than it already has." He slid the key into the door and shut it behind him a second later.

"Hey, what about me, man? What about our deal?"

Barry looked back at him. "I don't remember agreeing to _anything_ , Blackout." He watched the assassin's face pale. "But in the spirit of solidarity, I'll see what I can do. No promises." He sped away without another word.

…

5 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

The team's collective focus snapped to the door as soon as the air patterns changed.

"Barry," Korra started, "what just happened?"

His lips pursed. "Had a little chat with Mr. Gibran. Turns out my theory was only half-right. My dad surviving was an accident, but it was one the Reverse-Flash took advantage of, probably because they didn't manage to kill _me_."

Mako's brows furrowed. "So…you think _you_ were the target all along?"

His head shook. "No. _Everyone_ was. But from what Blackout told me, it was all or nothing. Since only my mother was killed and I was in the wind, he took Dad alive."

"And the Reverse-Flash took him off his hands," Asami finished. "Why?"

Barry shrugged. "I don't know. Not for sure. What I do know is that to find my father, we need to figure out who the man behind the mask is, once and for all."

Mako's head shook. "That's not gonna be easy. The last time I went looking, it took _weeks_ to compile as much as I did, and he took all of that."

The speedster approached his best friend. "But you must remember _something_. Some clue, some…detail, some point of reference that we can use to get back on track."

The firebender frowned at the floor for a few seconds, eyebrows knitted. "There is one thing that comes to mind. A team commissioned by the Earth Kingdom to conduct research—" he looked over at Eddie, "—on spirit energy."

The scientist's eyebrows hiked up. "You think he's interested in my work?"

Mako's arms crossed. "If he's not on your team. Professor Thorne, do you remember working with anyone who's relatively young, has black hair? Blue eyes?"

Eddie's brows furrowed. "Maybe…" Realization crossed his features. "Yeah, I remember now. There was this professor from Ba Sing Se University, name was Harrison Wells. He showed up maybe two months ago for work. Why? You think he's involved?"

Mako frowned at the crime board. "Could be. Witnesses in a village up north reported seeing a man of that description late on the night Barry's parents—excuse me— _mother_ was killed. Not long after, a string of heart and brain failures in Ba Sing Se started, spread out over months. That trend continued here in Republic City over the past seven years. If Wells is from the Earth Kingdom, then it makes sense."

Barry's upper lip twitched. "Let's go get him."

"Uh…that might be a bit of a problem," Eddie said.

"Why?"

"Because he hasn't shown up for work this week. Like, at all. I don't have an address for him, either." His features shifted as something occurred to him. "But he _was_ on loan from the University. They have people here to manage their faculty abroad. Maybe they'll have some sort of record on his housing."

"Good idea," Lin conceded. "Barry and Mako will go check with them. Meantime, I need to do damage control with…" her nose wrinkled, "Rainbow Raider."

Cisco shot her a deadpan look. "Seriously? It stuck?"

Korra snorted. "Don't blame her. It's easier to remember than Prism."

Barry shot her a slightly amused look, then nodded to Mako. "Let's go."

…

Korra watched them go with furrowed brows, noting the hard quality to Barry's stance, then turning to Lin. "I didn't see Bivolo on the island with the other convicts. What happened to him?"

The chief crossed her arms. "He sat in his cell the whole time. Apparently, Eiling did enough of his homework to realize that a man who can cause bouts of irrepressible rage with a look is more trouble than he's worth."

Cisco snorted. "Lucky us."

Lin took a long breath. "Anyhow, I'm heading back to the station. Professor, if you wouldn't mind accompanying me, I'd like your advice on that new containment system."

Eddie smiled and bowed a little. "I'd be happy to help."

"We're gonna keep dredging the Reverse-Flash's encoded files," Asami said. "See if we can decrypt anything of use."

Korra's brows furrowed. "Haven't you been banging on that wall for the last month and a half? What makes you think you'll find something else?"

Asami shrugged. "Call it a hunch, but now that we know Henry Allen is still alive, I bet there's something in there about him, something we might've missed because we weren't looking for it."

The Avatar shrugged. "Worth a shot I guess." She snickered. "I'm not much use in that regard, so…I think I'm just gonna…go home."

Asami arched an eyebrow. "You're gonna want to rest, like, a lot, okay? You went through a serious workout today, and something tells me we'll need you in top shape before the week is out."

She nodded slowly, then gave the pair a wave on her way out.

…

5 minutes later

Ba Sing Se University regional registrar's office

"RCPD. We need to ask you a couple of questions."

The head registrar smiled a little and nodded. "Of course. Anything I can do to help." He waved the two police into chairs in front of his desk. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"We need an address for one of your visiting professors," Barry said. "One Harrison Wells."

The man's brows furrowed. "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

Barry's mouth opened, but Mako beat him to it. "We just need to ask him a couple of questions. He's a person of interest in a case we're working."

"What kind of case?"

Mako exchanged a look with Barry. "I'm sorry sir, but that's privileged information."

He threw his hands up and smiled. "Of course. My mistake. I'll get the records right away."

"Thank you."

The pair fell silent as the registrar went into another room for several minutes. Mako eventually looked over at Barry, cocking his head a little.

"So," the detective said finally, "what exactly did you have to give Blackout for him to cough up that info?"

Barry's expression darkened. "A sprained knee. And a broken something—probably one of his teeth."

Mako stared at him openmouthed. "Barry, you actually—"

"My dad is at stake, okay?" He turned away to glare at a wall. "Already lost him once. I'll do whatever it takes to get him back."

Mako frowned deeply. "Even if it means sacrificing a piece of your soul?"

Barry gave him a look.

The detective's voice lowered. "You're not the Arrow, Barry. This new…ruthless streak you've got? It's not who you are."

He tilted his head in annoyance. "You think I can't pull it off?"

Mako huffed. "That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying you're _already_ pulling it off. Maybe a bit _too_ well…and it's scary."

Barry looked away, face twitching in doubt. "Maybe you're right. But I'm not willing to risk my dad just to play by the rules."

"Barry, I don't mean to sound cold, but…if your dad's still alive after seven years in captivity…he can wait a little longer." He put a hand on the speedster's shoulder. "Ask yourself, would Henry rather get back to you the fast way, or the right way?"

The CSI sighed hard and nodded slowly, shooting Mako a grateful smile just as the registrar returned.

"Got his records right here." He slapped a file down on the desk, which Mako quickly opened.

"Says here he's living in the Dragon Flats, north side."

"Let's go get him," Barry said, rising from his seat.

"Ah…not so fast," the official interrupted. "See, this is privileged information as well, and you had no court order."

Mako held up the file, brows arched. "Then why show it to us?"

He remained silent, a small smirk coming to his face.

Barry chuckled humorlessly, a cynical smile on his lips. "Oh, I get it. You're workin' for him, aren't you? He pays you to cover his trail, right?"

Mako shot him a warning look as the registrar gave him a confused expression.

"Excuse me?"

Barry snarled and leaned over his desk, glaring at the man. "I know your game, I know his, and I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is _not_ gonna win. Not this time, so you can take your empty threats and shove 'em." He straightened up and smoothed out his clothes, heading for the door. "Let's go."

Mako stood slowly, his eyebrows still making a valiant effort to join his hairline. "Well okay then. We'll just…see ourselves out."

Barry snapped as soon as they were outside. "What an ass."

"See that?" Mako pointed toward the building. "That's what I'm talking about. It's…"

He looked at the hesitating firebender. "What? Come on man, if there's anything I need from everyone right now, it's honesty."

Mako's lips pursed. "It's almost like you've been hit by Bivolo again."

Barry's jaw dropped halfway before he caught himself. "Well I wasn't, all right? I'm in complete control, and I can handle this, okay?"

He arched an eyebrow.

Barry sighed hard. "I just…I can't think straight knowing that my dad is out there, alone and scared and…under _his_ power."

Mako frowned. "I know. I get that. But this started long before Gibran ran his mouth, all the way back to the breakout a month ago."

Barry's jaw tightened. "Your point?"

Mako sighed and looped an arm around his shoulders. "You need to know that you're not alone, okay? Every last one of us is working to find him, and we won't stop until we get the job done. Now, we know where Wells lives, but if he _is_ the Reverse-Flash, it'll take more than the two of us to apprehend him."

He nodded several times. "We'll need the whole team on standby, covering every exit, plus a network of those pylons set up so even if he gets past us, he can't get out."

Mako stared at him for a second. "Right."

Barry looked over at him as they filed into his squad car. "He's not getting away, Mako. Not this time."

The firebender nodded slowly. "I know, buddy. I know."

…

RC Jitters

A beep from Korra's pocket prompted her to put down her latte and put her earpiece on. "Korra here."

"It's Asami. Remember that connection Mako was talking about? The one linked to Eddie's team? Well I think I know _why_ the Reverse-Flash planted himself there."

Her brows furrowed. "Okay?"

"Cisco and I just decoded another couple of pages, and we ran across references to an 'engine' of some sort. If I'm reading this right, the Reverse-Flash discovered a way to harness the power that gives both him and Barry their abilities. Something called the 'Speedforce.' Apparently, _that's_ how he got his abilities."

Korra's eyebrows hiked upward. "How does this 'engine' factor into what's happening now?"

"That's the thing. Near as I can tell, he built one here in Republic City…but the dating on this record doesn't make any sense."

"How so?"

"It says…it says it was constructed in 325…AG."

Korra's eyes went as wide as they could go.

"So…either the Reverse-Flash is a loon who can't tell time, or there's something else going on entirely."

The Avatar cleared her throat. "So…again, what does that have to do with right now?"

"Well…according to this, he's building another one. Don't know where just yet."

She shrugged and furrowed her brows. "Why? He already has his speed. Hell, he's faster than Barry. What possible reason could he have to—" She cut off mid-sentence, her features shifting in horror as her jaw dropped. "Asami, I gotta get back to you. Let me know what else you find." Korra promptly hung up and tuned her piece to Barry's frequency, the static on the other end persisting for a few seconds.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, it's Korra. I've got some bad news."

He sighed. "Seems there's a lot of that going around. What's up?"

"The Reverse-Flash. I think I know what he wants you for."

"…I'm listening."

Her lips pursed. "Remember what you told me, about that night? When you jumped in time?"

"Yeah?"

"Well…you also told me that you managed to catch up to him. Would've decked him if you hadn't broken the time barrier."

"…Okay?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, checking for prying ears. "Well, Asami just called, and apparently, he's constructing some sort of…speed engine, something that can harness the raw power of whatever gave you your abilities."

"Why?"

Her lips pursed. "I don't think he's fast enough to break the time barrier."

"…But…but that doesn't make any sense. He's _always_ been faster than me. Always."

"And that may be the case in a straight-up fight, in the heat of a moment, but over a long period, a long run? You _can_ catch up to him, beat him even. Why do you think your skirmishes have always been so short?"

"So…what you're telling me is that he needs this engine to…break that barrier…so, what?"

Her expression went grim. "I think he wants to take another shot at killing you."

"…I don't understand, he's had plenty of chances to—"

Korra's head shook. "No, Barry. Not you here. You, seven years ago."

Silence reigned over the other end.

"With his added speed, he might actually be able to pull it off."

"Yeah. Yeah I got that. Just…we've got a lead on him. Think we know where he hangs his head."

She rose from her seat. "We're getting the team together?"

"Yeah. Assembling at the airfield in ten. Be there."

Her brows furrowed at the hard edge to his tone. "Barry, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, maybe a little too fast. "I just want this to be over."

Korra's lips pursed. "Yeah…okay. I'll be there soon." She tapped her earpiece and pocketed it, a frown over her features as she marched out of the coffee shop.

…

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

By the time the last of the team arrived, Barry had nearly paced a trench into the floor, his posture and expression as tense as anyone had ever seen him. He whirled toward Korra, the last to arrive, and took several rapid breaths.

"So you're here. Good."

Korra couldn't help but frown at his tone, but nodded.

"This is everything we know about Harrison Wells." He pulled down a map of Republic City on his crime board, with a single section circled in red with various notes and documentation scattered about. "Which isn't much, _but_ he is the only person we've discovered to fit the description of a man Mako believes is the Reverse-Flash. He's a thirty-five-year-old professor from Ba Sing Se specializing in experimental physics. Near as we can tell, he fits the bill for our rogue speedster."

"But that doesn't mean he's our guy," Mako cut in. "Physically, he seems to fit the bill for the most part, but he's slightly taller than most of the witnesses I spoke to indicated."

"Only slightly," Barry interrupted. "Not enough of a margin to discount him." He turned back to the board. "There are a lot of ways in and out of his apartment's area, so covering them all is gonna be tricky, but I think if we set up some of those electric pylons around the perimeter, we should be able to pull it off."

"That's assuming he doesn't skip out before we have them all in place," Asami commented. "Again."

Barry nodded. "Right. Which is why I'll be putting them down. Your job is get them all linked and operable."

"And if he isn't the Reverse-Flash?" Korra asked.

He frowned and faced her. "I don't see another explanation, or any other suspects. Harrison Wells is the _only_ man who fits the bill." He turned back to the board. "And I'll be damned if I let him get away again."

The Avatar couldn't help but frown at his back, exchanging a concerned look with Asami as she returned the expression. He'd been like this for weeks, constantly pushing himself, and as a result, everyone else. Pushing them away, that is. It was like the whole incident with Caitlin and her Killer Frost persona had galvanized him into becoming this ruthless hunter. At least, it seemed that way. Korra knew—or at least suspected—the true cause of his change: Tony. By time-jumping and saving both Caitlin and Mako from horrible deaths, he had inadvertently created the conditions for Tony's death.

He may not have liked the guy very much, but his death nonetheless weighed on his conscience, and the fact that the Reverse-Flash was at the heart of the cause—both by making Tony a meta and therefore a target for Eiling, and by forcing the Flash to rupture space-time to stop the deaths of his friends—wasn't helping. Barry was going full steam ahead, with no end in sight, and he'd plow through anything—or anyone—who dared to get in his way…even his friends. Even _her_.

And that scared her.

…

1 hour later

"Everything in place?"

"Just about…done. Pylons are active. Barry? Mako? You're up."

The speedster nodded and motioned to his police friend, who approached the door with Barry in tow. Mako warily lifted his fist to the door and paused over its surface, exchanging a look with a suddenly tense Barry, who pushed him back a step and stood between him and the door. Giving Barry a confused look, he shrugged and allowed the speedster to knock three times. Moments later, the door opened, revealing a black-haired, blue-eyed man with glasses, standing just two inches taller than Barry.

"Can I help you?" he asked in an irritated tone.

Even from behind, Mako could see Barry's jaw and left fist tighten, and he rushed to defuse the situation. "Hi, uh, Professor Wells?"

" _Doctor_ Wells," he corrected. "What is it you want?"

Mako held up his badge. "Detective Mako, RCPD. This is Barry Allen, CSI Division. We're here to ask you a few questions."

He crossed his arms, looking Barry over disdainfully. "About what?"

"An old case," Barry cut in. "Tell me, Dr., where were you seven years ago?"

Wells furrowed his brows and cast Barry a narrow-eyed glare. "Now what the hell kind of question is that? Who remembers where they were seven years ago?"

"I do," Barry snarled, getting up in his face. "In my house, watching my mother get murdered."

"Barry," Mako warned softly.

"Now I don't know what _game_ you're playing," he continued, ignoring him, "but I am _done_ playing along. I _know_ who you are, I _know_ you have him, and I know you're gonna tell me _exactly_ where he is."

Wells stared at him incredulously, holding up his hands in confusion. "What _are_ you talking about?"

Barry snarled and grabbed him by the collar, shoving him into the house and against a wall.

"Barry!" Mako shouted.

"Where is he?! Where is Henry Allen?!"

"Barry, enough!"

Mako yanked on his arm, pulling him off the doctor, who looked more astonished than afraid. The detective did a double-take when he saw Wells straighten himself out, Barry yanking himself free and stalking over to the entrance.

"It's not him," Mako whispered.

The CSI took another step toward Wells, but Mako stepped between them and put a hand on the speedster's chest.

"It's not him," he repeated firmly.

Barry snarled and glared at Mako. "And how the hell do you know that?"

The detective sighed hard. "The reports, witnesses of him out of his suit. They said he had vertical scars on either side of his face, like old cuts that never really healed. Wells doesn't have them." Keeping one hand pushing on Barry's chest, he turned to Wells with an apologetic expression. "My colleague is going through a very emotionally trying time, and he's, unfortunately, prone to…outbursts. I'm sorry you had to witness that. It was completely unprofessional."

"You're damn right," Wells snapped. "Now get the hell out of my house."

Mako nodded once. "Yes, sir." He pushed Barry toward the door despite his resistance.

"This isn't over," Barry growled. "You hear me?! I _know_ what you are! This isn't over!"

The door slammed shut, and then Mako turned to Barry with a scowl. "Are you absolutely _out of your mind_?!"

Barry pointed at the house. "That's him, Mako. I _know_ that's him."

"No, Bear, it isn't!" He grabbed the younger man by the shoulders. "Every—single witness report cited those scars. That isn't something you can just make go away. It's not him."

The speedster's upper lip twitched as he sent a death glare at the house.

"Let's go, Barry."

He didn't move.

Mako grabbed his arm in a tight grip. "Barry," he said firmly. "Let's go."

The speedster yanked his arm free angrily, but complied.

…

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

The team filed into the control center in complete silence, Barry still casting death glares alternatively at Mako and the wall. Korra's features set firmly as she stood opposite Barry and crossed her arms.

"Can we have the room?"

Her tone left no room for debate, and they filed out one by one until the two metahumans were the only ones left. When the door closed, she spoke.

"What the living hell was that?"

Barry's head shook slowly as he huffed. "Harrison Wells is the Reverse-Flash. I could see it in his face, Korra." He turned to face her. "And it wasn't in the features or the scars, it was in the expression." He motioned to his own face. "That smug arrogance, that superiority. Always putting himself above _everyone_ else without a thought for how others might be affected."

She shrugged. "But, Barry, lots of people are like that, not just megalomaniacs. Hell, _I_ was like that, once upon a time."

His head shook slowly. "This is different." He looked up at her. "Korra, if there's anything I've learned in the past year, it's to always trust my gut, and right now, it is _screaming_ at me to go back there and beat Wells to a pulp until he tells me where my father is."

"But you wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't I?"

Korra gaped at him outright.

"I mean, really, what has restraint gotten me up to this point? A broken heart? Broken family? Dozens of innocents dead?" His head shook slowly. "Maybe Oliver was right to begin with. Maybe the only way to fight the darkness is to _become_ it."

She lunged toward him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Barry Allen, you stop right now. That is _not_ who you are."

"Maybe not, but it's who I need to be."

Korra blinked hard, letting out a disbelieving breath as she started to pace. "I can't believe what I'm hearing." She stopped suddenly and whirled toward him. "Are you really that hopeless? Has he gotten inside your head _that much_? So much that you'd be willing to sacrifice what makes you better, just for a chance at beating him?"

"If it saves all of you and my father? Yes."

Korra pointed toward the exit, where the rest of the team had gone. "This isn't _about_ them! Or me, or your father, or anyone else he's harmed!" She approached him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "This is about _you_. This is about him _beating_ you time and again, about your frustrations and your need to be in control. With him, you have no control, not on your own, and that scares you."

"Yes! Because I _can't_ stop him. He could run in here right now, kill every last _one_ of you, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it."

She put a hand on his cheek. "Only because you're assuming that we're helpless, that you're the only one fighting." Her hand cupped his cheek, pressing against it more as he stopped for a moment. "You're not alone, Barry. Let us in. Let us help. This isn't just your fight anymore."

His eyes fluttered closed, wetness spilling out of them. They opened a moment later, a hardness in his gaze and expression. "Well maybe it should be."

Korra blinked hard. "What?"

He withdrew from her. "If I'm the only one going up against him, nobody else gets hurt."

"Barry—"

"Korra," he interrupted, "you've been the best thing in my life since the day we met…but if I have to sacrifice what we have to keep you safe…I will."

She gaped at him, panic rising in her chest. "I can't believe this. Are you actually saying…" Her jaw worked for a moment, eyes cast toward the ground. "The Barry Allen I know would never even _consider_ this."

"Then maybe Barry Allen needs to grow up."

She looked up to see his stone-cold expression.

"Heroes don't always get a happy ending."

Korra stared at him for a few seconds, mouth agape, before her own expression hardened, jaw tightening as her upper lip twitched and fire flashed in her eyes. Her voice lowered to a growling whisper as her fists clenched and eyes spilled over. "You're no hero."

Barry stared back at her, jaw dropping slowly as hurt shone in his features. It was gone a moment later, replaced by anger. "Goodbye, Korra," he growled out. He vanished in a flash of lightning the next second.

And the Avatar collapsed into a nearby chair, head in her hands as she let the tears fall freely.

…

5 minutes later

RCPD HQ

"Eddie!"

The scientist pulled off his spectacles to look back at the approaching Barry Allen. "Hey, Barry!" he greeted cheerfully, the smile dropping from his face as soon as he saw Barry's. "Whoa, you okay, buddy?"

The CSI huffed and snarled, jaw working for a moment before he looked up at Eddie's concerned expression. "I need to hit something. Mind holding the bag for me?"

Eddie blinked. "Not at all."

A minute later saw Barry hammering on a heavy bag barely kept in place by Eddie.

"So…you two broke up?"

Barry snarled. "Sure _looks_ that way." A dozen punches were leveled in a half-second before he stopped, breathing heavily. "You want to know the worst part? I don't _know_ that I'm right about the why." He wiped the back of his glove across his forehead. "I mean, looking at the way Oliver does things, the way the Reverse-Flash gets things done…it's all a solo act."

Eddie's eyebrows furrowed. "On the contrary. The Arrow may be the only one going into the field, but he has an entire team backing him up off it. And the Reverse-Flash has contacts of his own, like Blackout."

Barry shrugged. "Still." He jabbed the bag a couple of times. "Out in the field, they both operate on their own, and I can't. I can't even _fight_ him without backup, much less beat him."

"And that makes you feel weak."

"It makes me feel _vulnerable_ , which is even worse. Inadequate, like I can't even protect the people that matter most."

"Like your dad."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah." Barry sighed and turned back to the bag, resuming his hammering in a much less forceful fashion. He stopped half a minute in. "It's just…Korra's been there for me from the beginning, from the moment I started using my powers to help people. She's been my anchor for so long, and I wonder…I wonder, now that she's…that we're over…can I still be the Flash? Is it even worth it?"

Eddie sighed and shrugged, pushing away from the bag and approaching Barry, hands on his hips. "Well, if you're debating it this much, then there's conflict."

Barry shrugged. "Yeah."

"Do you regret breaking up with her?"

He huffed and shook his head. "In every possible way." Barry looked up at him, pain pulling at his features. "I can't even describe it."

Eddie looked at him sympathetically. "Well, if you feel that terribly about what happened, you _could_ always just go back and fix it."

Barry huffed a bitter laugh and shook his head, looking off to the side. Suddenly, he stopped short, freezing in place as his gaze was dragged back to Eddie. "What did you just say?"

Eddie looked back to him. "Hm? Oh, I just said you could run back and fix it, ya know, talk things out."

"No," Barry replied, stepping closer to him. "You said I could _go_ back and fix what _happened_. Like I could change what I did."

The scientist looked off to the side, then back to him, smiling.

Barry's eyes narrowed slightly. "How did you know?"

Eddie's eyebrows shot up. "Know what?"

"That I could time-jump."

The scientist huffed and grinned. "I dunno. Korra told me, I think. Or maybe you let it slip sometime in the last month."

"No," Barry answered, tone sharpening. "No, we wouldn't have done that. It isn't something I would've just let slip, and Korra would've _never_ mentioned that to _anyone_." He looked off to the side as his mind raced. "The only people who knew were her, Firestorm, and—" Cold dread filled him as he dragged his blue gaze back to Eddie, whose smile had dampened to a slim curve, resignation in his features. "No…"

Eddie just shrugged, a sinister glint entering his eyes. "Sorry, Bear."

The Flash hesitated for just a moment.

But a moment was enough.

By the time Barry threw the first punch, Eddie had ducked and nearly decked him with one of his own. Fast as a blink, a red lightning trail streaked behind him and knocked him to the ground, bashing his head against the floor hard. The next second, he was moving at superspeed, and he felt himself thrown against a wall. The moment he hit the ground, he locked eyes on Eddie and charged with an enraged yell. He met an electrified glass composite and rebounded with a yell, hitting the ground hard. Groaning, he slowly pushed himself upright, looking up to see Eddie looking down at him with an expression somewhere between resignation and disappointment.

Barry just glared back at him, right fist clenched.

"Well," Eddie began with a sigh, "that complicates things."

* * *

AN: Hello, boys and girls, I'm baaaaack! Kinda. I'm trying to get back into writing this story, especially since it's heating up this much. In fact, most of this chapter was written right after I finished Resolved, but I just couldn't find the motivation to finish it. This intermediate chapter is just that, though: intermediate, which is why I had such difficulty.

Anyway, I finally made the big reveal. Hope it was as shocking as I'd intended. The next couple of chapters represent the finale of Act I, with everything coming to a head. And then it's on to Act II and the end! Still a long ways off, but I feel like this is kind of a plateau point for this story. The most difficult bits should be behind me now, so I'm hoping to push through and finish this section at long last.

Please leave your comments at will.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	30. Reconciled

Reconciled (adj): having repaired a breach of trust or relations.

RCPD HQ

11 months, 2 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

After about ten seconds, Barry began to seethe rather than rage. Another twenty seconds, and his seething fell to a silent glare. By the time the first minute was up, he was staring at Eddie helplessly, his features pinched and pained. He gulped hard and licked his lips before he spoke in a near-whisper.

"Why?"

Eddie winced and began to pace.

"Why protect me all those years? Why help to raise me?"

He held up a finger. "That, Barry, is the question."

"I want an answer," he growled back.

Eddie just stopped and smiled at him.

Barry glared back. "What was it all for, Eddie? What could you possibly have to gain, by _any_ of this? And how did you get rid of the scars? The hair I can get. Just a simple wig or dye is all you need to fix that, but what about those scars?"

He sighed hard. "Since you've already unmasked me, I might as well go all the way." He smiled and tipped his head up, pushing his fingers against his upper neck in a certain pattern. "Allow me to…" his voice crackled with what sounded like static, deepening by the second, "reintroduce myself."

Barry gaped outright as Eddie's features shifted and morphed into something else entirely. Within seconds, his face was almost exactly like that of Harrison Wells—scars included.

"My name," he said in his new voice, "is Eobard Thawne." He bowed slightly. "At your service."

"How—how did you—"

"Nifty, isn't it?" He pointed at his face. "I call it the 'nano-mask.' Piece of tech that conforms to your features and can make you look like…anyone."

"How is that even possible?"

"It isn't," he answered simply. "At least…not in this time."

Barry's jaw tightened as he nodded to him. "Whose face did you steal?"

He chuckled and started pacing again. "My…namesake, if you will. Edward Thawne."

The speedster stared. "Thawne. Like you."

Eobard smiled. "Let's just call him a distant relative. He doesn't live here in Republic City. At least, not yet. He is a police detective in Ba Sing Se, a rather…ineffective and forgettable job, I might add. Had to change the last name, obviously, but Thorne wasn't much of a stress from Thawne, so…" he shrugged and faced Barry, "I adopted it."

Barry kept glaring. "Why?"

"Ah, that question again. As I told Chief Beifong…my reasons are beyond your comprehension."

"Try me."

Thawne blinked. "No."

"I _deserve_ to know!"

"In due time. Patience, Barry. Answers are coming…" he cocked his head, "but not just yet."

"What do you want? Where is my father?!"

"Oh, your _father_ …he's just fine. For now." He turned for the door.

Barry slammed on the wall. "You won't get away with this, Thawne."

Eobard turned his head and smiled back at him. "And why not? Your friends have no idea who they're looking for. I walk out of here—" he touched his neck again, face and voice again morphing into Eddie's, "—no one'll even give me a second glance."

The Flash punched the wall one more time, roaring in rage as he rounded the corner out of sight. A moment later, he poked his head inside.

"Oh, and by the way, I designed the cage to hold _me_. Good luck getting out."

The next instant, he was gone.

…

30 minutes later

Thirty minutes of seething, pounding, and attempted vibrating left Barry sitting on the floor of the anti-speedster cell, glaring off into infinity. Just as he was about to get up and try again, an armored figure entered the room and stopped short. Lin's jaw dropped as she stared at him, and Barry shot to his feet.

"Allen? What the hell—"

"There's no time," he interrupted sharply. Get me outta here, _now_!"

She quickly released the locks on the cell and watched as he dashed from the room, returning a few moments later, a scowl on his face.

"Oh, who was I kidding? He's gone."

"Who is?"

He looked up at her, a frustrated frown on his face. "Eddie—or…Eobard."

Lin shook her head in confusion. "What? Barry, what are you—"

" _He's_ the Reverse-Flash."

The chief's jaw dropped and eyes widened to their max. "You've gotta be kidding," she nearly whispered.

His head shook slowly. "I wish I was."

"But—he doesn't have the scars."

"I know, and there's a perfectly good explanation for that, but I can't go into details now. We need to get back to the airfield."

"All right. Let's move."

He picked her up and sped out of there a split-second later.

…

5 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

Korra was still sulking, Asami massaging her shoulders while Cisco and Mako looked on helplessly when the speedster and his boss flew into the command center. The Avatar glanced up, her eyes briefly filling with excitement before remembering what that gust meant and letting her features fall into an annoyed scowl.

"So what are _you_ doing here?" Her arms crossed. "Thought you didn't need any of us."

Barry's lips pursed for a moment as he considered his response. When the second was over, he decided on, "I was wrong. More wrong than I've ever been in my life, but we don't have time to address that. We've been betrayed."

A shocked ripple ran through the room as they all turned to face him.

"Well, actually, not so much a betrayal as an inside job. We've had a mole this whole time."

Asami and Korra glanced around the room, the former speaking up. "Who could—"

"Eddie," Barry answered before she could finish. " _He's_ the Reverse-Flash. I don't know how or why, but he inserted himself into my life and into this team, and we need to figure out why, right now."

"Barry," Asami started, rising toward him, "are you—"

He cut her off. "More sure than I've ever been about anything. Now when was the last time you saw him?"

Her face darkened. "Just a few minutes ago. He went into the treadmill room to retrieve some equipment, or so he said."

Barry sprinted into the room and flew all over the place, searching every nook and cranny for anything out of place. He found nothing until his ice-blue eyes fell on the treadmill. Narrowing his gaze, he crouched down and inspected its power conduit, features shifting in realization.

"Something's missing," he said finally, looking back up. "Cisco."

The engineer stepped in and looked it over, then pointed at the gap. "That piece—it wasn't necessary to the treadmill's operation. Eddie added it on last-minute. Said it was an…experiment. A turbine. Maybe a way to create free energy by using your speed."

Asami blinked hard. "So…the more you ran on it, the more energy that thing collected." Her gaze shifted to Barry. "And you've been using that thing a _lot_ this past month."

The Flash nodded slowly. "By now, he's probably got enough energy to power a building."

Cisco laughed nervously. "Yeah, if not a small city."

Barry gave him a sideways look.

"You've been pushing yourself _really_ hard since Tony bought it." He glanced back at a frowning Asami. "And the amount of energy you produce when you go that fast is… _astronomical_. If that turbine was even fifty percent efficient at harnessing your movement…he's got the world's largest energy storage device in a briefcase."

"How is that even possible?" Asami asked. "He barely managed to create a storage device that could handle the load necessary to run that treadmill, much less harnessing something several orders of magnitude times that power."

Barry's expression darkened as he stood up. "I think I know." He sighed hard and exchanged a look with each of them. "Look, this isn't gonna make any sense, but…I think he's from the future."

Every pair of eyes except Korra's snapped to him in shock and disbelief.

"But that's—" Mako began.

"Impossible?" Barry smirked and shrugged. "Come on, Mako. Since when has that mattered?" He sighed again. "The truth is, I already tested this theory. A month and a half ago, when Caitlin was kidnapped…we got her back, but it was too late. She was beyond saving."

Cisco blinked rapidly. "Barry, what are you talking about, she's _fine_."

"Yeah. She is now." He looked up at them. "But the first time I lived through that day, she wasn't. We got to her when she was on the verge of death, and we couldn't pull her back. Maybe an hour after I found that out, I watched the Reverse-Flash murder Mako."

The detective gaped.

"I chased after him in a rage. He outran me, at least at first." His eyes narrowed. "And then I kicked in something else. Some level of power I've never even dreamed of, and I caught up to him." He held up his fist. "A split-second before I hit him with a supersonic punch, I tore a hole in space-time." Barry gulped. "Firestorm realized what had happened after the fact, when he realized I knew what was gonna happen. He cautioned me against changing the timeline." His head shook as he cringed. "I didn't listen. I saved Cate _and_ Mako."

"Then why do you not look happy about it?" Asami asked.

Barry exchanged a look with Korra before facing his sister figure. "Because…the universe has a plan, and I changed it." He gulped. "One life…for another."

The tycoon stared back at him uncomprehendingly.

"Because I saved them, two others had to die. That civilian that Cate sapped of all heat…and Tony Woodward."

Asami drew in a sharp breath and let her jaw drop slowly. "No…you're lying."

His head shook. "I wouldn't lie about this. I am _so_ sorry." He gulped again. "I didn't know."

The woman let out several shuddering breaths, staggering against a nearby doorway as Mako moved to help her. She waved him off, then slowly looked back up at Barry. "And you didn't go back to change what you'd changed…because you were afraid if you did, something worse would happen."

His lips pursed tightly. "Yes."

Asami's jaw tightened and loosened several times before she nodded slowly. "Okay. Then…" she took a deep breath, "it wasn't your fault. You were just doing what you thought was right."

A look of relief passed over Barry's face before he sharpened up and nodded firmly.

Lin frowned at his back. "Something doesn't make sense. Thorne didn't have the scars of the man Mako got a description for, or the hair."

Barry motioned to his face. "He uses this…thing. Calls it the…'nano-mask,' or something like that."

"The who-what?" Cisco asked confusedly.

Barry's head shook. "Look, I dunno half of what he was saying, but the Eddie Thorne we knew never existed."

"Then who have we been working with all this time?" Lin asked.

Barry's jaw tightened as he turned to face her. "His name is Eobard Thawne. Apparently, he based the whole 'Eddie' persona off a 'distant relative' of his, Edward Thawne. According to Eobard, the _real_ Eddie is a detective in Ba Sing Se."

"Is there any chance they've been working together?"

"Since he was first spotted there? Maybe. The more likely possibility is that he went there to copy Eddie's face onto that mask of his."

Mako approached him, one hand on his forehead. "Yeah, I'm…still tryin' to wrap my head around this whole 'future/time travel' thing."

Barry huffed. "Trust me, no one's more disoriented right now than me." He frowned at the floor. "Or disillusioned." His head shook slowly as his jaw worked. "I just don't understand," he said in a near-whisper. "Seven years he took care of me, protected me." He looked up at Lin, shrugging. "Why?"

"No idea, kid," she replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But we'll figure this out." She looked between him and a frowning Korra. "Together."

The two metas exchanged a look before the Avatar turned away and fell more than sat into a seat. She started working on an inventory of the storage room without a word.

…

The door of a well-kept cabin closed with a bang after a sudden gust of wind flowed over the walls. A man inside turned in his chair to face the entrance, a concentrated frown on his face as he scanned the person stepping inside. He had a tired, annoyed smile on his face, and he was staring at the ground.

With a bitter chuckle, he looked up at the seated man and smiled. "You know, Henry…your son is becoming quite the thorn in my side."

The man's upper lip twitched as his fists clenched at the arms of the chair, unable to move due to cables around his wrists. "You leave my son alone, Thawne."

Eobard chuckled again and stepped past him, pacing. "You know...I _would_. In fact, I wouldn't even have _touched_ Barry Allen—" he leaned his arms on either side of the chair, getting up in Henry's face with a snarl, "—if he had just left _me_ alone."

Henry's brows furrowed. "What are you _talking_ about? You keep saying that he ruined you, but before you came into our lives that night, we never even knew you _existed_!"

"Ah…all this time, and you just refuse to understand. Refuse to read between the lines."

"The lines don't make sense! They never have!"

Eobard snarled and hissed next to his ear. "That's because you have a simple, _stupid_ mind." He straightened up, composing himself. "Don't take it personally. That fact isn't entirely your fault. After all…comparatively speaking—" he motioned to his surroundings, "—you're living in the Stone Age."

Henry just shook his head and sighed.

"Well, I've got things to do and plans to set in motion. Your _son_ just forced me to move up my timetable, and while it's not exactly problematic, it _is_ annoying in the highest degree."

The captive doctor sent a silent glare at the back of his head as he pulled a glowing device from his briefcase.

"I want you to take a moment," Eobard said suddenly as he fiddled with some machinery out of Henry's view. "And think about all the things that define your life. All the people you love. Your job. Your coworkers. Your home." He moved his device to connect to something else, a soft glow emanating from it. "And now imagine if one day, in a flash, all of that vanished." He stopped short and chuckled. "Oh, that's right. You don't _have_ to." He turned back to Henry, a tube-connected device in his hands as he approached. "The difference is, I can do something about it. So…if you were me, in my position, would you just…accept your new life and continue on?" His gaze sharpened and turned toward the elder Allen. "Or would you do whatever it takes to get back what was taken from you? Because I can assure you…"

He leaned down, his eyes starting to glow red as he stared into Henry's eyes. "I will get _everything_ that was taken…from me."

…

2 hours later

Future Industries Airfield

A frustrated huff left Korra's throat as she slapped a clipboard down hard, wincing with a slight groan as her torn muscles protested.

Barry looked up at her in concern. "Hey," he called softly. "You okay?"

"Fine," she ground out.

He sighed hard and stood up, sending a nod to Cisco, who promptly left the room. "Where does it hurt?" he asked as he approached her.

She turned on him, glaring. "I said I'm fine."

Barry kept his features as blank as possible, but not even his considerable control could keep the pain out of his eyes. "Korra," he started softly. "I'm sorry." He gulped slowly, emboldened by the fact that she hadn't slapped him yet. "I really… _really_ can't say that enough." He slumped back into a chair, eyes downcast as he leaned against his knees. "You were right. When you said the Reverse-Flash had gotten in my head. He got me to push all of you away, and in so doing…set up the perfect heist. An inside job that let him steal enough power to do… _anything_. I don't know why."

He looked up. "I just know that I can't do this alone. He has _beaten_ me." He brought the bottom of his fist into his open palm repeatedly. "Time and time again. I can't take him on in a straight-up fight. Hell, I can't even take him on in a roundabout fight, with strategy and anticipation because he is _always_ not one step ahead, but a thousand." He threw his hands up. "I can't beat him." He took a breath. "And the reason I can't beat him is because I have taken it upon myself to finish the job. Alone. I just…rush headlong into danger, thinking that as long as I'm the only one out there, I'm the only one at risk."

Barry huffed. "But, once again, you were right. I'm not alone, and this isn't just my fight anymore. I had _zero_ contact with Mako for nearly a month, and the Reverse-Flash killed him in that other timeline because he had the courage the keep digging, to fight for what's right, even if he was alone." He chuckled mirthlessly. "So, once again, not to sound like a broken record, but—you were right. I'm not a hero. Not as long as I keep assuming that I'm the only one who can do this, the only one who's willing and capable. Heroes never triumph alone. Even from the beginning, I've needed you, _all_ of you. The times I've been out there on my own, trying to do everything myself, people have died.

"The woman I failed to save taking on Blackout. The cop Captain Cold gunned down. Tony." He stared down at his hands. "It's taken me this long to figure it out."

Korra's brows furrowed as she looked down at him. "Figure _what_ out?" she asked quietly.

He smiled back up at her. "We were _all_ struck by that lightning."

A few seconds passed before her expression softened, and she let out a long sigh as she crouched down to his level.

Barry was still smiling sadly. "I'm sorry."

Korra's jaw worked for a moment before her hands went to his hair, brushing its windswept auburn back before taking hold. "I know," she replied softly.

She pressed her face into his neck, inhaling deeply and tightening her hold around his neck. A long, relieved sigh left her lips as his arms held her back. Their moment was disrupted when a radio in the control center beeped loudly. They both shot to their feet and rushed over, motioning Cisco back in.

Barry clicked the receiver on. "Yeah, Chief. What's up?"

"We've got a bit of a problem. Well…not a problem per se, just something…very strange."

Barry and Korra exchanged a look, the latter speaking up. "Been a lot of that going around, Chief. Gonna have to be a _little_ more specific."

"The metas," she said. "The ones who escaped from Eiling's little island fortress?"

"Yeah," Barry replied, "what about 'em?"

"They're all miraculously back in their cells, minus Cold and his partner Rory."

"Heat Wave," Cisco corrected.

Korra shot him a look.

"How is that even possible?" Barry asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "But I don't like it."

His lips pursed. "All right. Thanks for letting us know." He clicked the radio off and straightened up. "We need all hands on deck for this. And I mean everyone. Whatever Thawne is planning next, those metas are involved somehow."

"Agreed," came a voice from the exit, a grease-stained Asami stepping through. "Just found out something _else_ he stole." She slapped a clipboard on the desk. "No less than two dozen of the replacement spirit batteries."

"What does he need all that power for?" Barry asked.

"Haven't the faintest clue," she replied.

Korra blinked several times. "I might." She dashed over to a desk and threw a few loose papers off its surface before finding the one she was after and holding it up in front of them. "The speed engine."

Asami slapped her forehead. "Of _course_. In order to harness more power for his abilities, he'd need an astronomical amount of energy." She stopped short as something else occurred to her. "Hold up. If he's really from the future, then he knew about spirit energy long before he started his 'research,' which means—"

"He had the recipe from the beginning," Barry finished. "So why wait until now to construct the engine?"

"Because, that's what the _turbine's_ for, not the batteries."

"You're saying that he needed _my_ energy to power the engine?"

She nodded, taking from the same stack as Korra. "Yes. That's it exactly." Asami flipped through a couple pages before her index slapped down on a decoded line. "The Speedforce. The unlimited source of energy that gives you both your abilities. According to his notes, it runs on a kind of power, though it isn't strictly electrical in origin. It's…half electricity, half spirit energy." She did a double-take. "Wait a minute. The human body generates quite a bit of electricity in itself." She looked up at Barry. "What if spirit energy is the limiting reactant?"

Korra's eyebrows shot up. "The what now?"

Barry glanced at her. "It's a chemistry thing. The less there is of one reactant in a chemical equation, the less there is for the other component to be reacted with, and the less product comes out."

"So, when spirit energy is lacking in the equation—" Asami started.

"He supplements with the batteries," Cisco finished. "He's using the batteries to power _himself_ , not a device."

Asami smiled and set the papers down. "Exactly." She looked over at Barry. " _That's_ why he's always been so much faster than you."

Barry exhaled slowly as he leaned over, eyes narrowing. "If that's true, then why does he need more batteries?" He looked up at them. "Why does he need the engine? Why does he have to keep refilling?" Something in his features shifted. "Unless…" He exhaled sharply, one hand swiping across his face. "Oh spirits…he's trapped here."

"What?"

He glanced up at Asami. "Thawne. He's trapped in this time. His body? It can't hold onto its speed because one of the reactants keeps running out."

"The spirit energy," Cisco supplied.

"Exactly." Barry blinked rapidly. "His body…it must not process the Speedforce as efficiently as mine. _That's_ why he took that research job, and _that's_ why he needs _me_. He needs a constant supply of spirit power or he'll lose his speed."

"And the amount of energy it takes to time-jump—" Korra began.

"Is too much for him to output at once. He can't maintain it." A smile spread over Barry's face. "That's why I caught up with him before _I_ time-jumped. He couldn't go that fast, or he'd lose it completely, burn out before he could recharge." A triumphant laugh bubbled from his throat. "Don't you get it? This is _perfect_! All we have to do is separate him from his power sources, and he's _powerless_!"

"That's assuming he hasn't already activated the speed engine," Asami countered.

His lips pursed. "No, I don't think so. Why would he have stuck the metas in prison if he had? It just doesn't feel right."

"Well, regardless, he _is_ the Reverse-Flash. He'll have contingency after contingency, and we have no idea where to even start looking for his backups."

A sigh left his throat as he slumped into a chair. "Yeah. You're right." He looked up at her. "But these notes have to have _something_. Let me take a crack at it."

She waved him toward the stack. "By all means."

…

3 hours later

RCPD HQ

The first thing the desk sergeant noticed was a gust of wind passing him by. After glancing up and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he shrugged and returned to his paperwork. The second thing he noticed was a blinking red light on his dashboard. The third thing he noticed was the tag on that light: CELL INTEGRITY. His green eyes went wide a moment before his hand slapped down on the pan-station alarm. As the blaze of klaxons filled the air, the entire station roared to life and mobilized for the cell block. The first explosion of electricity hit the moment they opened the door, and a sandstorm obscured much of their vision a moment later.

The next few seconds were a blur of motion and impacts as one cop after the next was tossed aside or otherwise incapacitated. The sergeant made quick work of his metalbending, but there was only so much he and the others could do. A quick glance at the electronic register confirmed his greatest fear: every last cell on their holding level had been opened.

The metas were loose.

The last thing he saw before blacking out was a yellow blur speeding toward the exit.

…

Future Industries Airfield

Asami hit the "on" switch for the radio a second after it started beeping. The blast of noise and screaming that came from the other end drew every eye in its direction.

"Allen!" Lin shouted. "Korra! The metas are loose! We need you _now_!"

Barry was dressed in moments. "We're on our way! Korra!"

She snatched up her airbending staff and ran over to him. "Go!"

They were gone in the next instant, Asami making for the ASAALT. "Cisco, stay here, keep decoding those files. Barry said the last couple of lines contained something important, maybe a location. We need it. Now."

He nodded rapidly. "You got it, boss-woman."

…

The Flash and the Avatar streaked toward the station faster than she'd ever felt him run, an urgency to his steps that went beyond mere duty. Everything was coming to a head now, and he intended to come out on top. The moment they entered the headquarters, it was clear the police were losing. Metal-clad bodies were flying left and right, some collapsing to the ground due to green gases entering their lungs. The couple exchanged a look, then sprinted into action, Korra managing to shove Mako out of the path of a lightning blast from Mark Mardon, then counter with a cable grab and resulting toss into one of his brothers.

From the corner of her eye, a pale bald head turned in her direction, and she looked to see a perversely grinning Kyle Nimbus standing and staring at her. Snarling, she took a step in his direction only to come up short and leap backward when a metal-encased woman stampeded toward her from the side. She was blown against a wall—quite literally—when the newly arrived Tenzin and Bumi catapulted massive blasts of air into her from the side.

"We've got this one handled!" the younger brother shouted at her. "Help the others!"

She gave him a firm nod, then turned back to the heart of the fight and entered the fray.

…

A lightning bolt directed at Lin's back never landed, thanks to a red blur that moved her just in time. That blur came to a stop directly in front of its caster, glaring.

Blackout grinned and held his sparking hands at his sides. "Guess I didn't need that clemency after all, huh?"

Barry cocked his head and smirked maliciously. "Guess not."

The first and second bolts landed nowhere near their targets, but Barry quickly realized he was adjusting his shots either to hit him or someone behind him. Sprinting toward Gibran, the Flash went on offense, tackling him into a desk and cracking the wood, but feeling the shock of electricity travel up and down his spine a moment later. Yelling in pain, he withdrew behind cover, peeking out every couple of seconds. He looked to his right a moment later to see his best friend in hand-to-hand combat with an escaped Triple Threat. A split-second later, the thug was taking a nap, and Mako was behind cover.

"Barry, what—"

"There's no time! You feel up to a rematch with Blackout?"

The detective glanced over the edge of the desk, then back to Barry, features hardened. "Hell yes."

"Good. I'm gonna go out there, and I need you to stand right behind me. The moment he takes a shot, I dodge out of the way, and you reflect it right back at him."

"Sounds like a plan. Go."

Slowly, the Flash stepped out of cover and snarled at Blackout, approaching him with measured steps.

The assassin smirked and lifted his sparking hands. "So, the boy's finally become a man."

Barry smirked. "In more ways than you know."

He charged up an excessive amount of electricity in his hands, then released it with a yell.

"Now!"

The Flash dashed two feet sideways, the bolt of lightning streaking right past him—into Mako's outstretched left arm. Channeling the energy inward, the detective growled and released it from his right hand. Blackout's sheer shock kept him rooted to the spot as ten thousand volts coursed through his system, rendering him instantly unconscious. The pair exchanged a smile, Barry sending him a thumbs-up, but pained yells and shouts of "Fall back!" from Lin prompted them to glance at an ever-deteriorating situation in the rest of the station.

More than half of the police force was either unconscious or heavily injured, and although Lin and her metalbenders were putting up a fantastic fight along with the Avatar and the airbenders, it was clear they were outmatched. Out of the seven escaped metahumans, they'd only managed to down two, one of whom was Blackout, the other Kyle Nimbus, who Cisco had codenamed "the Mist" due to his use of gaseous hydrogen cyanide. Barry's eyes flickered over the crowd of power-slinging metas, Amunet's metal-encased body barreling through another hapless cop on her way to the exit.

Korra spun on her heel and tangled both of her cables around her ankles and yanked in time with a spin, pulling her off her feet. Amunet's metal-laced face snarled at the Avatar as she pushed herself upright and made to sprint for her. A flash of red tripped her up, then carried her heavy body toward the still-standing Weather Wizards. Dumping her in the middle of their firing line, he sprinted away before Trey could put an ice spike through his shoulder, coming to a stop next to an in-cover Lin and Korra, who dropped down next to them a moment later.

"Something's off here," Korra said. "They're not fighting as hard as they could be."

"Agreed," Lin replied as Mako hunkered down with them, the desk they were hiding behind shuddering with impact. "Something tells me this is just a distraction."

"We need to finish this," Barry added, "fast. Direct suppression isn't getting it done."

"What do you suggest?"

He glanced over the cover, then crouched back down. "No matter how strong or enhanced they are, they're still human. Which means they still need to breathe."

Korra shot him a horrified look. "What are you talking about?"

Barry's lips pursed as he glanced toward the metahumans. "I'll run around them as fast as I can, create a vacuum to suck the air out of a circular space. If I can get them to slow down enough, you can take them down." He put his hand on the Avatar's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I don't see another way to bring 'em down quickly." He looked up and focused on the escaped criminals. "I need you to keep them within my ring. If the perimeter gets too wide, the vacuum won't be strong enough."

"We'll do our best," Lin assured him. "Now go!"

He paused for barely a moment, then shot off and sprinted in a circle around the metahumans, the air around him whipping at massive speeds as he accelerated more and more.

"What the hell is he doing?" Amunet shouted above the roar of the wind.

"I don't know!" Mark replied, lightning sparking on his hands. "I don't care! Take him out!"

Over the next few seconds, the five metas attempted to disrupt his running patterns, but he was moving nearly twice as fast as when the Weather Wizards constructed the tornado in this very building. It wasn't until nearly half a minute later that the air thinned enough for someone to notice.

"Wait," Amunet gasped. "This _bastard_ is trying to choke us to death!"

She leapt into his very path, a metal wall in his way, and time slowed to a crawl as Barry ducked around her only for his leg to get caught on one of Amunet's swinging arms. He rolled to a stop, then took off just as an ice spike and two fireballs streaked through his last position. He resumed his run in the opposite direction, slowly increasing his speed and sucking more air out as they began to collapse. Mark shouted something at all of his brothers, and they all stood for one last push, every one of their elements combining to create a massive wave of energy that sent the Flash flying toward one end of the room.

He slammed into a wall back-first, grunting on contact and pushing himself upright with a groan. An ice spike streaked toward him, but stopped when it impacted with a concrete wall, Korra stepping between him and the metas. Before he could do anything else, his earpiece crackled to life.

"Barry, you there?!"

He tapped his ear. "Cisco, I'm a little busy right now!"

"Dude, I found the speed engine!"

He straightened up and glanced around the corner at the weakened metas, who were being engaged by the last police, Lin, Mako, and the airbending brothers. "Where?"

"It's…it's here, Barry."

His eyes widened in alarm.

"The speed engine is right here, in the lower level of the control tower. And—oh no."

"What?"

"Spirits…he's here, right outside the gate. I can see him from the window. Looks just like they said, black hair and everything."

Barry cast a look at Lin and Mako, who were staring at him with identical horrified expressions. He glanced at the steadily weakening metas, then at Korra, who grabbed his arms and locked her eyes with his.

"You can't. Barry, you can't go out there by yourself."

His lips pursed. "I have to try. He _can't_ be allowed to use that engine."

Her jaw tightened, and she looked at him for another long second before gulping and nodding. "Go. We'll be there as soon as we can."

With a nod, the Flash sped out of the station and toward the airfield.

…

He arrived less than half a minute later just as Thawne approached the airfield proper, a ring on his finger and a smile on his face. Barry pulled his mask back as he set his stance.

"Well, I heard you had a bit of a jailbreak. I'm so sorry."

Barry snarled. "All a part of your plan, I assume?"

He shrugged. "Of course. I knew you couldn't resist trying your hand at saving all those innocent cops. Ever the hero, huh Barry?"

"You've hurt enough people," the Flash said firmly.

"I know…you see me as the villain, but Barry, if you were to look back, look back carefully at everything I've done, every wheel I have set in motion, you would realize that I have only done what I had to do." He straightened up and tightened his jaw. "Nothing more." His eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. "Nothing less."

Barry snorted. "And the speed engine? How does that fit into your 'grand plan'?"

Eobard smiled. "Well, why don't you go on inside, let me show you?"

Barry smiled sardonically. "Really, seven years you lie to my face, pretending to be a false friend, and you think I'm just gonna trust you?"

He puffed his chest out. "And yet I've shown you, time and time again…you can't beat me, Barry."

A loud eruption of noise and fire descended on the airfield, a blaze of flame setting down on Barry's left as Firestorm touched down, white eyes blazing in Thawne's direction.

"You called?" asked the hybrid.

"Wow," Thawne laughed. "You brought yourself a friend."

A loud _thunk_ sounded from behind Thawne, a thin, almost invisible cable between a light post and the control tower screeching as something slid across its metal surface. A moment later, a green-clad body touched down on Barry's right, facing the Reverse-Flash as well.

Thawne grinned and chuckled. "Welcome, Mr. Queen."

Oliver's lips pursed. "Hope we're not too late."

Barry smirked. "You're right on time." He raised his voice. "I don't care how fast you are. You can't fight all three of us at the same time."

Thawne chuckled again. "Oh I can't? Trust me. This? This is gonna be fun." His left hand rose, revealing a golden ring with a lightning symbol on its surface, going in the opposite diagonal direction as the one on Barry's chest. A moment later, its surface began to glow.

Firestorm's hands and head ignited as the Flash pulled his mask back on, lightning dancing in his eyes. The Arrow reached back to his quiver and drew back an arrow, perfectly poised to take a shot on a hair-trigger. The glow on Thawne's ring intensified to a maximum, and the front of it erupted in a shower of red sparks as the hated yellow suit sprang from its insides. Surprised but undaunted, the Flash streaked forward as the Reverse-Flash donned his suit in less than a split-second, the two speedsters sprinting for each other in a mad dash to the finish.

A second before they impacted, Thawne turned sharply, and Barry followed, pursuing him in a circular motion and trying to catch up to him.

"Move, Barry," Oliver growled, unable to get a clear shot.

Firestorm took off to counter this disadvantage, flying out of the ready sight of both speedsters.

"Barry, move!"

Catching on, the Flash tried to disengage, putting Oliver out of Thawne's line of sight, but the Reverse-Flash caught up to him first and slammed him against a concrete divider, then threw him twenty feet clear through the air by snapping his arm to the side at several hundred miles an hour, sending him into the side of a car, glass shattering around him. A metallic _twang_ split the air, heralding an arrow that stuck in the back of Thawne's left leg. A blast of fire hit the ground in front of him as he jumped back, the impact still stunning him.

"Come on!" Firestorm shouted from above.

Thawne snarled and lifted his arm, rotating it in a funnel at superspeed. A massive gust of wind slammed into Firestorm, sending him rocketing back toward the mountain. The Flash took off toward him as the Reverse-Flash pulled the arrow from his leg, noting that its head was a needle instead of an arrow.

"When I fought the Flash, I injected him with two thousand milligrams of lab-grade tranquilizer. He burned through it in seconds."

Thawne staggered on his feet, turning toward Oliver.

"So I upped the dosage. To _sixteen_ thousand."

He nearly hit the deck, but managed to stay on his feet as the Arrow stalked toward him.

"It may not stop you, but it'll sure as hell slow you down."

The first blow impacted Thawne's head before he drew back and countered with several jabs, red lightning dancing off his limbs. The blows were much slower than his fight against the Flash, almost at normal human speed, so Oliver's rapid, spin-driven style was more than a match for the slowed speedster. Repeated bow strikes impacted him at various places, little by little crippling his ability to move before he spun 360 degrees and slammed him to the ground. Thawne reached over to his right, hand alighting on a steel pipe, and swung upward as he rose to a crouch, slamming Oliver in the gut and disarming him of his bow before flipping the pipe for maximum length.

His next blow never landed, since the Arrow caught it and countered with a cross to his face, followed by several jabs to his ribs and temple. He finished by using the pipe as leverage to throw him to the ground back-first. Oliver moved over to retrieve his bow, then drew an arrow and pointed it at Thawne's head. He didn't notice him vibrating at superspeed until it was too late. A moment later, he was flying across the airfield, his hood flying off as he was pinned to the ground, staring up into glowing red eyes.

"The history books say you live to be eighty-six years old, Mr. Queen." The Reverse-Flash's free arm began to vibrate and lower to his chest. "Well, I guess the history books…are wrong."

…

Barely an inch from impact, Thawne found himself catapulted into a concrete divider at superspeed. Grunting with the impact, he pushed himself into a kneeling position.

"That's the spirit. You can't stop me, Flash. And you never will."

Barry snarled. _Watch me._

Thawne took off toward the control tower, but Barry headed him off and drove him to run up its surface, the Flash in hot pursuit. They sprinted from one end of the airfield to the other, Firestorm coming in from above and sending streaks of flame across the Reverse-Flash's path, forcing him to curve in a particular pattern of movement. Catching on, Flash tackled him to the ground and held him down for barely a moment before feeling himself thrown off. A moment was enough for Firestorm to lay down a wall of flame in a circular pattern around the Reverse-Flash, too high and hot to run through.

With only a moment's pause, Thawne lifted both arms and rotated them in the opposite direction as last time, creating a massive vacuum that sapped the oxygen from the air around the wall. One section of it fell, and he streaked out and into Barry, bowling him over and into a nearby car. Firestorm descended and fired several streams of flame before being sucked toward the ground by another vacuum. An extremely high-speed punch knocked him out in one shot as the growl of a motorcycle engine reached their section of the airfield. The Arrow rode in on his bike, drawing back arrow after arrow as he leveled his full skill on the Reverse-Flash.

When he saw the yellow blur head for him, he leapt from the bike, narrowly avoiding getting clotheslined as he rolled to a stop. The Arrow whirled around, drawing an explosive arrow and firing it into the ground in Thawne's path. He avoided the worst of the explosion, but the force of the detonation still threw off his running pattern, causing him to stumble into a punch from the Flash. The two speedsters exchanged blows for several seconds as Oliver tried to get a clear shot in. Finally, Barry saw Thawne overextend himself in a wild haymaker and ducked under the strike, grabbing his arm and using it as leverage to get behind him, holding the appendage in a painful lock.

He spun to make Thawne face Oliver, gritting his teeth as the Reverse-Flash struggled. "Now!"

Another tranquilizer arrow was released—into Barry's upper arm.

The Reverse-Flash had vibrated and pivoted at the last second, managing to free his arm from Barry's grip in time to move his grasping limb between him and the arrow. Several rapid breaths left Barry's throat as he was dumped on the ground and Oliver was assaulted from all sides by a flurry of speed punches. The green-clad archer was finally decked with a sprinting haymaker that sent him rolling ten feet to a stop. The Flash tried to vibrate his body, burn through the tranquilizer, but he soon found himself unable to recover as the Reverse-Flash hit him from several directions, each blow causing explosions of pain and an audible crack.

Agonized yells were torn from his throat as he tried to fight back, every blow too slow to come anywhere close to hitting. One of his lower ribs broke as he was knocked to the ground, then picked up, run over to the control tower and slammed against its wall. Excruciating pain lanced through every inch of his body as he tried to push himself upright. His back hit the wall as he was hoisted upright and pinned by Thawne's forearm, his red eyes glaring into Barry's.

"What _exactly_ were you hoping to accomplish?" he asked, voice normal for once. "For once in your life, Barry, look at things from _my_ point of view. I am _stuck_ here, in this infernal, incompetent time. I don't _belong_ here. So why exactly would you stop me from leaving?"

The Flash snarled and grabbed his arm, trying to pull it away. "Because…you're not getting away with what you've done."

Thawne smirked. "But what if I never did any of it?"

Barry blinked rapidly in confusion a moment before a massive gust of flame engulfed Thawne from the side, the heat passing over his face by mere inches. The Reverse-Flash shrieked as he ground to a stop, rising to his feet to glare at his attacker. Barry's eyes widened when he saw Korra standing there, scowling at him with fire in her hands.

"Korra—don't!"

She yelled furiously and charged forward, every element at her disposal coming alive as she pounded the weakened Thawne from all sides. He managed to keep his footing, if only just, and charged at her, only deterred by wide flame arcs she threw out, forcing him to readjust his running pattern. A metal cable snagged his ankle, and he was catapulted into the ground several times before being pinned to the wall of the control center, all his limbs immobilized. Her chest heaved as she kept him there, arms outstretched, sweat pouring down her face.

"It's…over," she gasped in a half-growl, sending Barry a small smile.

"Quite so," Thawne replied, causing a cold shiver to run up Barry's spine.

His entire body began vibrating a moment later, at massive speeds, and a few seconds after that, Korra felt her cables go slack. When he took a step away from the wall and became solid again, he shrugged and smiled malevolently.

"Korra, run!"

It was too late.

As the words left his mouth, the Reverse-Flash sprinted toward the Avatar, arcing around her faster than she could readjust and hitting her in the left side of her rib cage, something breaking for sure. Her right leg was the next to go, the kneecap dislocated as a scream was torn from her throat. She was thrown against the wall of the control tower a second later, and Barry was helpless to intervene when Thawne sprinted from over thirty feet away to slam a fist into her chest. A loud, audible crack sounded over the ten-foot distance they were from Barry, and his jaw dropped as Korra's eyes bugged out, her chest spasming for air as she was unceremoniously dropped on the ground.

Breath left him in a whoosh as he collapsed to his knees, staring at her immobile body. Thawne barely gave him another glance before he ran inside. Barry didn't stop him. Instead, he dashed to his girlfriend's side and gingerly rolled her face-up, panicked eyes scanning over her body. A gentle grip on his wrist told him she was still alive, but the fact that only one side of her chest was rising and falling said it was bad. She pulled him closer and spoke, voice a growling whisper.

"Kick his ass."

He gave her a long look, seeing a shaky nod of her head, and then grasped her hand tightly, features twitching in anger as his eyes turned up toward the building. Gold lightning struck as he rocketed inside, finding Thawne in the wide, open lower level of the circular tower, his hands inserting what he assumed was the turbine into a machine of some sort. He didn't bother to check.

The next second, the Flash was yelling at the top of his lungs, the Reverse-Flash slung over his shoulder as he carried him back outside and threw him into the side of the mountain. He didn't let up for a moment, speed punches thrown from every angle and direction, most of them painfully deflected, but Barry not caring a bit.

"I—will—kill you!"

Thawne just laughed and withdrew step by step. "Finally! Some fight, some _fire_!"

He countered one of Barry's punches with a hook to his left temple, stunning him, then took off toward the mountain and ran up its surface, the Flash in hot pursuit. The pair circled a plateau of the mountain path again and again, Barry trying desperately to catch up to him but failing every time he reached out with only inches between them. He caught Thawne's arrogant grin when the murderous speedster glanced back at him, then increased the distance dramatically, actually managing to lap him once or twice as a taunt.

Barry's teeth gritted hard as his anger rose, arms swiping every time he was lapped but hitting only empty air until Thawne stayed just ten feet ahead of him, still out of reach.

"Come on, Barry! I'm getting bored here!"

The Flash scowled and glanced back at the airfield on one of the laps, seeing Korra's immobile body and feeling a wave of rage rise within him. His eyes refocused on the man in yellow, legs speeding up and overcoming his restraints as Thawne did the same, both speedsters breaking the sound barrier just seconds into their run. But he was still ahead, the Reverse-Flash still taunting him every other second. Barry's eyes closed for barely a split-second as he leveled every scrap of will and focus on his speed, remembering the day he'd watched Mako die, the one time he'd ever seen fear in his enemy's eyes.

"Not fast enough, Barry!"

His jaw tightened, then loosened as his focus narrowed to a blade-edge. _My name is Barry Allen…_

Ice-blue eyes snapped open, their surfaces dancing in lightning.

 _And_ I _am the fastest man alive!_

He bared his teeth and roared as lightning engulfed his entire body, crackling over every inch and pore. His legs ceased to be relevant, his body only a vessel for the immense power of the Speedforce.

And then he cut it loose.

The look on Thawne's face when Barry lapped him—not once, or twice, but _four_ times in a row—was a study in shock.

The look on his face when the Flash punched him on the fourth lap…was priceless.

…

The Reverse-Flash flew off the mountainside like a falling meteor, arcing toward the airfield's command tower and slamming into the top of a car, caving in its roof and windows. A few moments later, he pushed himself to his knees with a long, drawn-out groan, his body barely cooperating. All the same, a chuckle bubbled from his throat as he started to rise.

He froze in place when three sharp pains lanced through his back, his eyes fluttering shut as everything went black, a flash of green leather and gold lightning the last thing he saw.

…

Barry slid to a stop just six feet from Thawne's unconscious body, eyes noting the three tranquilizer arrows buried in his back before sweeping up to see Firestorm and the Arrow approaching, the former holding the side of his head with a pained grimace on his face. The Flash's ice-blue eyes flickered to them both.

"Thank you."

"Anytime," Firestorm said in a groan.

He blinked rapidly as his heart thudded hard, head turning to the control tower and the immobile body lying there. He whirled back to the two heroes. "Korra—"

"Go," Oliver said firmly. "We'll make sure he doesn't get up."

Barry frowned. "How?"

Arrow cocked his head, then reached into his quiver and stuck three more tranquilizer arrows in his back.

His eyebrows shot skyward. "Okay then. I'll be right back."

Barry's arms went around her broken body, careful not to further upset the extensive damage done to her as he sped toward Aang Memorial Hospital, hoping against hope that it wouldn't become known as Korra Memorial. He looked down at her bruised, unconscious face, and cringed in sudden pain.

 _Hang in there, Korra. Just hang in there._

* * *

AN: So…yeah…that happened. Hope you're liking how all of this is playing out. I never liked how one-sided the battles between the Flash and Reverse-Flash were in the series, but I needed to make the whole three-on-one work somehow, hence the part about the whole "limiting reactant" thing. It makes a lot of sense, from my point of view, and with what I'll explain about the Speedforce in the future, it's gonna make a lot more.

One thing I want to emphasize: I get why the writers of the show made Thawne's abilities alter his voice and features whenever he used them fully, but I don't agree. If anything, it would be the same kind of identity concealer as the Flash's vibrating face and voice. From here on out, now that Barry knows Thawne's true identity, it's going to be classic comic Reverse-Flash. His eyes will still glow red, but everything else will remain the same as normal.

Anyway, like I've said before, we're coming up on the last couple of chapters in Act I. I will likely _not_ be releasing the end of Act I before I've at least started Act II, but…I don't know, maybe I will. It all ties up, but there's one _really_ large loose end that is left at the end of Act I. That's all I'll say, and you'll see what I mean when it happens.

Anyway, please review this chapter. Everything's coming to a head, and I'd like feedback on how I'm executing all this.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Called Some Friends for Help: start-3:06—"Why don't you go on" to Firestorm KOed; Supersonic: 0:53-end—"Kick his ass" to punched off a mountain; Called Some Friends for Help: 3:06-end—triple shot to end of chapter


	31. Conflicted

Conflicted (adj.): having or showing confused and mutually inconsistent feelings.

 _My name is Barry Allen. I am the fastest man alive._

Chief Lin Beifong motioned two metalbenders away from a door, allowing a lanky auburn-haired man to pass between them.

 _When I was a child, my mother was murdered, and I was attacked by something impossible._

Two more rows of three guards each were motioned aside on a path down a long hallway.

 _Then an accident made_ me _the impossible. To the outside world, I'm an ordinary forensic scientist, but secretly, I use my speed to fight crime and find others like me._

A safe-like lock was unlocked and opened to admit him into a foot-thick metal door.

 _One day, I'll find who killed my mother and get justice for my family._

Ice-blue eyes lifted to lock with darker ones behind six inches of electrified plate glass.

 _That day is today._

…

RCPD HQ

11 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

The two speedsters stared at each other for a long minute before Eobard smirked and lifted his eyebrows.

"What? No Big Belly Burger?" He shrugged and started pacing his cell. "One of the few perks of living in this time. We're out of cows where I come from." He waved a hand dismissively, facing Barry. "You don't care about that. You have questions. Go ahead."

Barry's jaw worked as his right hand curled into a fist, every scrap of will devoted to keeping his cool. He gulped hard to clear his throat. "Not sure where to start, Thawne. That _is_ your real name, and not another lie?"

He tipped his head. "Since the day I was born."

"And when was that exactly?"

"That's not what you want to know." He leaned toward Barry. "Go ahead, Barry. Ask it."

Barry's eyes stung as he took a ragged breath. "Why did you try to kill me?"

Eobard's eyes flashed with genuine fire for a moment. "Because I hate you." He drew back a step. "Not you now, you years from now."

"In the future," Barry supplied.

"In _a_ future," Thawne corrected. "Yes. We're…enemies, rivals, opposites, reverses of each other."

"So _that's_ what this was all about?" Barry started pacing and waving his hands around. "Not some 'balancing act' or 'setting something right' in the universe, like you said when we first met. This was about you and your personal vendetta."

Thawne's head cocked slightly to one side. "Hmm…well…that's not exactly an easy question to answer."

"It's a _simple_ yes or no!"

His jaw worked, a sigh leaving his throat. "Yes."

Barry let out a sharp breath, a sardonic smile plastered to his face as he resumed pacing. "You made me doubt myself, doubt my purpose, my mission." He stopped moving, whirling toward Thawne. "And then you turned around and helped me, helped me for _years_ before I was ever struck by that lightning. Nurtured me, taught me, _protected_ me! And for _what_?!"

Thawne remained silent.

"If you were trying to kill me in the first place, why defend me all those years? Why be my mentor? My friend?"

He gulped hard. "Because I failed."

Barry's brows furrowed.

"Look…in my time, neither of us was strong enough to defeat the other." He held up a finger. "Until—I learned your secret. I learned your name." He smiled sinisterly. "Barry Allen. And finally, I knew how to defeat you once and for all: travel back in time, kill you as a child, wipe you from the face of the earth. But—I had to be thorough. An impossible entity killing a single child years before metahumans even appear would look extremely suspicious. So I took my time, did everything right. Hired two of the best professional killers in the business to take you out."

Thawne's head tilted. "But then I thought, 'Why would someone hire assassins to kill a child?' The answer? They wouldn't. They'd hire assassins to murder the entire family, to send a message. With the connections your father had in his practice to the Triple Threats and other crime organizations, however peripheral, it wouldn't have been that much of a stretch to connect the deaths with gang violence. So I gave them the orders, set the plan in motion. Everything was…perfect." He waved his hands outward, smiling ruefully. "But—I underestimated the will and strength of a father protecting his son."

Barry's features shifted.

"Henry got you out before they could finish the job _and_ managed to get one of my assassins to kill the other."

 _Just like Blackout said._

"So I returned to my time believing that the Flash was gone." His face fell. "Only to find that he was back, stronger and angrier than ever. Because I wasn't expecting his interference, our first confrontation nearly took me out of the picture entirely. But, I managed to escape, went back to the drawing board. It dawned on me that I would have to take a more…personal role in your death." His index fingers pressed against his lips. "Problem was, you—future you—figured out what I was doing, and when I built up enough speed to time-jump…you jumped with me." He winced and worked his right shoulder. "We both landed some pretty solid shots, and then you—future you—got your younger self out of there."

Barry nodded to him. "And then what?"

Eobard chuckled bitterly. "I was _so_ mad. When I found out Blackout had failed to kill Henry, I nearly destroyed them both." He held up a finger. "But then I saw an opportunity. What if I kept the one man who could give you guidance in life? Keep you from going down the hero's path? So I took him and stashed him away for safekeeping."

"Why not just kill him?"

He sent Barry a disappointed look. "Barry, dead men not only tell no tales, but they serve no leverage."

Barry's eyes narrowed. "Leverage for what?"

Eobard took a moment to respond. "Your help."

His jaw dropped to the floor in shock for a moment before his features shifted in rage. "You murder my mother, kidnap my father, _lie_ to me for _years_ , then put my friends and this entire _city_ in danger just to run your experiments, and you just expect me to _help_ you?!"

"Of _course_ I don't expect that!" He lifted his arms. "Barry, do I look like an idiot to you? I don't expect you to do _anything_ without a good reason. Thing is, I have _two_."

Barry snarled and slammed his fist on the cell. "Well I've got a _thousand_ reasons not to help you, so they better be damn good."

He smirked and took a step back. "Oh trust me, they're splendid." Thawne resumed pacing. "You see, in traveling back here a second time, within so short a span, I inadvertently…drained myself. Barely ten minutes after I stashed Henry away, I was running toward the North Pole's spirit portal when all of a sudden—" he snapped his fingers, "—my speed was gone. Just…cut. Came to find out later that the second time-jump was too much of a drain on my abilities for my body to handle, and so it lost its ability to properly metabolize the Speedforce."

"Stranding you here," Barry finished, realization washing over his features.

He nodded slowly. "Exactly."

"Which is why you needed me to get faster. That's why you created the metahumans, why you kept me above water all those years. You can't keep up enough speed to create that breach, to go back to your own time."

"Right you are, two for two."

Barry snarled. "Good." He turned for the exit.

"Oh, but you haven't heard the best part yet!"

Allen stopped in his tracks, turning his head toward a smiling Thawne.

"You see, if you help me get what I want…I'm gonna give you what _you_ want."

He turned around fully, squaring off with the other speedster. "And what's that?"

"Your mother. Alive." Eobard pressed his hand against the glass, leaning against it fully. "I'm gonna give you the chance to save her."

Barry stared at him for several seconds, then slowly shook his head. "No. No, I don't believe you." He slammed his fist on the glass. "I want to kill you," he hissed.

"I know that rage," Eobard replied calmly. "I used to feel it every time I looked at you. But…as the years went by, and I got to know you better, I…understood. I learned what it feels like, what Lin and Henry feel when look upon you with pride. With love."

Barry snarled and hammered on the glass with both hands. "Don't you say that; don't you _ever_ say that! You made my life a living hell! Made me an orphan!" He started pacing, chest heaving in anger. "You _drove_ me down a path that was _never_ meant to happen!" He stopped six inches from the glass, scowling. "And you put the woman I l—I care about in the hospital. Before I helped her along, the healers didn't know if she'd even make it."

Eobard winced. "Well…if it's any consolation…" he shrugged and shook his head, "things were never gonna work out between you anyway."

"Shut up!" he hissed.

Thawne groaned in frustration. "I know you're upset, but I am _giving_ you a chance." He paused to compose himself. "I am giving you a chance to undo all the evil I have ever done. Don't you want that chance?"

Barry didn't answer, just stared at him for another moment or two before turning for the door, leaving behind a frustrated speedster and a man he'd once cherished.

…

Lin stood guard as the door shut behind him, watching the emotions play over his mostly blank face as his jaw worked. Finally, he looked up at her, an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

"I take it you were listening?"

She tapped her ear. "The whole team was listening."

He sighed hard, running his hands through his hair. "Then we better take this conversation somewhere a bit more private."

…

5 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

"The rare opportunity to go back in time and right a wrong?" Martin arched an eyebrow at Barry. "Quite the paradox Mr. Thawne has presented you with, Mr. Allen."

To his left, Caitlin brushed her thumb over Ronnie's hand. "The chance to be with someone you love? Seems pretty cut and dried to me."

"At first blush, Dr. Snow, it would appear so, but this gift has unparalleled risk." He directed a pointed look at their speedster. "He knows this already."

"Yeah," Barry whispered. "They do too."

"According to Thawne, Barry saved his younger self seven years ago. That one event changed the course of history."

"So…we're living in another timeline. Just like when I time traveled before."

Martin waved his hands for emphasis. "Yes, except that was just one day. Imagine, seven _years_ of compounded experiences. One different decision, no matter how big or small, impacts everything that follows. Moments upon moments, choices upon choices. No relationships, _nothing_ would be as it is today, and you'd never know the difference because you'd never remember any of it."

Barry frowned at the floor. "So, if I save my mom…my dad doesn't get kidnapped, I never get sent into the foster system…"

"You might never meet me," Mako added, looking over at the rest of the room. "Or Korra or Asami."

"Truth is," Martin interrupted, "there's no real way to know _what_ your life will be."

Silence engulfed the room for nearly a full minute before Barry looked up. "I can't do it."

Caitlin's jaw dropped.

Pain engulfed Barry's features as he started pacing. "Believe me, there is _nothing_ I want more than to erase that night from existence, but I already saw the carnage left behind by changing one day." His head shook slowly. "I can't even _imagine_ the damage I'd do if I shifted seven years." He took a few more breaths before shaking his head. "No. I can't do it." He left the room moments later.

The sound of metal-plated footsteps followed him.

He turned when Lin got within six feet of him.

"Barry, what are you doing? This is exactly what you've been waiting for, the chance to set things right. _This_ is why you became the Flash."

"Is it?" he asked. "Because I thought it was to do something valuable with my life, something beyond cleaning up after the scum of this city, to actually _stop_ them."

"Allen, you were _always_ valuable, well before you got your speed. You never needed your powers to be a hero. That won't change if you have your parents back. Hell, with them raising you, I'd be willing to bet you'd grow up stronger."

"And what about you?"

She blinked hard. "What _about_ me?"

Barry smirked and snorted. "I know you try to downplay it all the time, but…you care about me, in a way you don't look at _anyone_. If that night never happens, we'll probably never know each other, or at least not in the same way we do now."

Lin arched an eyebrow. "And?"

His lips pursed. "Don't pretend that thought doesn't affect you."

Her jaw worked. "Well, it's not like I'll be able to tell the difference, now is it?"

He sighed hard. "Chief—"

"Look, Barry…you've spent the last year helping everyone from the criminals you stop to the Avatar." She put a hand on his shoulder. "It's time for you to help yourself."

Barry looked her in the eye for several seconds before shaking his head slowly. "I can't, Lin. Last time I time-jumped, I remembered everything that had happened the last time through. If that happens again, and I go forward with this…if something happens, something terrible…how am I gonna look my parents in the eye? How am I supposed to live with myself?" Tears fell from his eyes as he wiped the back of his hand across them. "I can't." He turned and ran out a moment later.

Lin's lips pursed as she mulled over his words, eyes snapping toward the exit after a few seconds as they narrowed. Her legs moved with purpose as she set her next destination.

…

Aang Memorial Hospital

The attending nurse looked over at the approaching young man with an understanding smile.

"She should be awake by now, but please, keep contact to a minimum. The damage is still fairly extensive."

Barry nodded once and returned her smile, then walked past and entered a hospital room a moment later. He winced when he looked inside, features twisting in pain as he stopped just inside the doorway.

Korra stared down at her legs, slowly shaking her head with a rueful smile. "You know, I'd really hoped I'd never see this thing again."

Barry gulped hard and moved toward her with slow steps, his hands going to either side of her wheelchair's handles. "Yeah. You and me both." He slowly wheeled her over to the window, where she had a perfect view of the bay.

They sat there together for almost a minute before Korra broke the silence. "It's funny how we keep coming back here. This…position we're in."

Barry's brows furrowed. "What's that?"

Korra looked up at him. "You, always saving my life." She nodded out at the bay. "First time was out there on that island. I was sinking. You caught me, brought me back up into the light."

Barry's lips pursed, a smile twitching at his lips. "I was just tryin' to help."

She chuckled softly. "Seems you always just 'try' and yet…the effect you've had…on people? On this city?" Her hand held his right, their fingers knitting together. Her voice quieted to a near-whisper. "There are no words, Bear."

The speedster smiled widely and leaned down to press his lips to hers, both staying like that for a few seconds before pulling apart and opening their eyes. They just looked at each other until they started to lose track of time. A discreet clearing of the throat from behind jolted them from their embrace. They looked back to see a familiar figure standing in the doorway.

"Hope I'm not interrupting."

Barry smiled. "Naw. The more, the merrier." He waved. "Come on in."

Oliver smiled a little and walked into the room, hands in his pockets.

Barry nodded to him. "How you feeling?"

He took a breath and tilted his head to the side. "All in all, pretty good for having broken three ribs last night." He looked up, an amused glint in his eyes as he glanced at Barry. "It's a neat trick you've got, with that lightning."

The speedster grinned. "Always happy to be of use."

Oliver gave him a tight-lipped smile.

Barry's brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"

He licked his lower lip and sighed. "Look…you know I'd stick around to help…but Vertigo's making his move in the Earth Kingdom, and now that I'm better—"

"You need to get back," Barry finished with a nod. "I understand."

Oliver smiled and nodded with a chuckle. "Besides, this whole 'Reverse-Flash time travel' thing seems a _bit_ outside my area of expertise."

The metas snorted in laughter, each nodding in turn as Korra turned her chair to face him.

He reached out a hand to her. "Avatar Korra, always a pleasure."

"Likewise, Mr. Queen."

"Please," he smiled. "Call me Oliver."

She nodded and smiled back, the two men sharing a long look as Oliver bit his lower lip.

"Barry…I might need a favor from you, sometime in the future."

He shrugged and grinned. "Dude. There are no favors between friends. I'm _there_. Wherever, whenever."

Oliver snickered and nodded. "Okay. Same."

"Good," Barry replied, pulling him into a hug, then releasing a moment later as the Arrow made his exit.

Silence enveloped the hospital room for a minute after he left, the couple resuming their watch over the city.

"So," Korra said after a while. "What now?"

Barry didn't reply for almost a full minute. "That's the question, isn't it?"

…

RCPD HQ

A silent staredown lasted for a solid two minutes before Thawne finally broke the silence.

"Well, I must admit, I didn't see this conversation coming."

Lin's head cocked to one side. "Oh? And why's that?"

Eobard hummed for a moment or two, looking off to the side in thought. "Well…I never really thought you'd abandon your whole 'mean boss' façade." He looked back to her. "Not even for Barry."

Her jaw tightened visibly. "What do you want, Thawne? Really?"

"To go home."

"That's crap, and we both know it."

"Is it?"

Lin blinked.

He approached the glass and tipped his head down slightly. "Can you even… _imagine_ what it would be like to see your whole world taken from you, in an instant, with no way back except to employ the help of your greatest enemy? I suppose it would've been the same as how Avatar Aang felt when he woke up a century after his time, although, in his case—"

"In his case, he wasn't a megalomaniac. And it wasn't his fault he was stuck."

Thawne's head cocked. "Well…technically—"

"Okay, I'm going to make this simple. I hate you."

He shrugged.

"I don't trust you any further than I can waterbend."

"Fair enough. So what is it _you_ want?"

She gulped. "For you to convince Barry his life will be better _with_ his mother in it…than without."

His lips parted slightly as he blinked hard. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me. He's afraid that when he goes back, he'll influence everything so much that it'll destroy the world he knows."

Thawne shrugged. "Well, in effect, it will. Everything up to this point will be…overwritten, like a mover film."

"But in a good or bad way?"

Another shrug. "There's really no way of telling, not until you're there."

Lin's eyes narrowed. "So, you knew that, and you were willing to kill the Flash _knowing_ how much it would change _everything_."

"Well—"

"And you say you're from the distant future," she added, approaching his containment cell. "Which means you'd be influencing several _times_ the amount of time Barry would."

"Hmm…technically several _dozen_ times."

Lin's nostrils flared. "And you didn't care."

"Nope." He leaned back against the far wall of his cell. "Anything else you want to know?"

She looked back up at him once she'd reined in her anger. "Yeah. We were all listening in when you had your conversation with him earlier."

"Okay?"

Lin squared off with him. "Did you mean it? When you said you cared about him? _Loved_ him, even? I mean…how can you hate a man you love?"

He wagged his finger several times, smiling ruefully. "Now therein lies the rub. The paradox. You see, when you just meet someone behind a mask, there's a certain distance to the relationship, even if you think you know that person, and believe me, future Flash and I knew each other _very_ well. But—" he started pacing, "—when you go back, see how they got to be who and what they are…" he stopped and stared at a far wall, a twinge of regret on his face. "Things change. Your paradigm shifts…completely." He glanced over at her. "You start to see their more human side, their redeeming qualities, and you wonder if, just maybe…under different circumstances, you might actually have been friends."

"So why insist on being enemies?"

He smiled and sighed. "Because, Chief Beifong…the Barry I know here…is not the Barry I will know in the future. And since I don't belong here, to befriend a man that I will eventually have to destroy would be… _entirely_ counterproductive."

Her green eyes narrowed. "Why? Why do you _have_ to destroy him? Why were you ever enemies in the first place?"

Thawne waved a hand dismissively, voice quiet. "It doesn't matter. None of that matters anymore. Right now, all I can think about, all I've _ever_ thought about since that night…is getting home." He looked back to her. "And I will, Lin. Whatever it takes."

Lin's upper lip twitched. "Not if I have anything to say about it." She turned for the door, but stopped inches from turning the handle to look back at him. "Oh, and Thawne? If Barry _does_ make this deal, and it goes wrong…" her eyes flashed with fire, "I don't care where or _when_ you are. I will hunt you, I _will_ find you, and I will _kill_ you. Do you doubt it?"

He stared at her for several seconds, his face blank. "No."

…

Aang Memorial Hospital

Korra and Barry stared at each other for a long minute after he finished talking.

"I'm sorry, can you explain that again?"

Barry audibly facepalmed.

"No, Bear, I'm just saying, this is a bit outside what I can wrap my head around the first time through."

He sighed. "Thawne wants me to travel back in time to prevent my mother's murder, and by extension, help him get back home."

She stared at him for a second. "So what's the problem?"

He gave her a sideways look.

"I mean, if you prevent what happened that night, prevent anything from even going wrong, what does it matter whether he goes home or not? I hate to sound trite about this, but…no harm no foul."

Barry frowned at the floor, shaking his head. "What I can't reconcile is everything that'll change because I shift that one event. Turning back a day and saving two people cost two more their lives and nearly hundreds more when Firestorm went boom. Imagine what'll happen if I compound that kind of shift over _years_."

Korra sighed. "Barry…I won't even _pretend_ to understand all this 'time-paradox' crap, but…that particular day probably isn't the best model for time-travel, especially since there were so many pieces in play, so many different plots twisting and turning together."

"And you're saying there weren't when my mom died?"

Another hard breath was exhaled. "What I'm _saying_ is that all this craziness started that night. If you stop that night from happening…this could all be over before it even begins."

He frowned at the floor, staying silent.

"Bear…Bear, look at me."

His eyes rose slowly to meet hers, a sullen expression on his face.

"Is that really all you're worried about?"

Barry's eyes darted from one of hers to the other as his hands grasped hers tightly. "No," he whispered. He gulped hard. "If I do go back, if I save my mother, and I grow up with my parents…I might not become a CSI, get struck by lightning, be invited to that ceremony."

Korra's eyes widened as his meaning dawned on her. "We might never meet."

He nodded slowly, head sinking. He felt a pair of muscled arms circle around his shoulders, pulling his head toward her as he shifted with the movement. His cheek laid on her shoulder as his arms went around her torso tightly. "Korra…what do I do? I need someone to tell me."

She sighed softly, voice cracking a little. "I think that for once in your life, Barry Allen, you should stop thinking about other people." Her arms tightened around him a little. "Do what's in your heart."

Barry's eyes closed, liquid spilling out of them as he nodded into her neck.

They stayed that way for some time.

…

1 hour later

RCPD HQ

Eobard Thawne turned in his cell, smirking as he saw Barry's lanky form walk through the door. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, it took you a whole hour longer to decide than I thought it would."

Barry ignored him. "So how does this work, your grand plan?"

"It's…not really that grand at all." He stood up. "It's actually quite simple. We cause an explosion."

The younger speedster stared at him.

He waved a hand dismissively. "Not the kind you're used to, with all the fire and destruction, but a _tear_ in time-space. You see, I designed and developed a device capable of achieving something similar to the spirit portals, only the doorway it opens isn't into another world, but into time and space itself." Thawne held up a finger. "Now, I will warn you. This portal has an inherent instability. If it remains unstabilized for more than one minute and fifty-three seconds, it will begin to…feed."

Barry's brows furrowed. "What do you mean 'feed'?"

"I mean it'll start to suck in and constrict everything around it into a space the size of a pinprick. In short, we'll all be a lot smaller by the time it's finished."

"And how _exactly_ do you propose we avoid that?"

He shrugged. "Simple. You run into it."

Barry gaped and huffed a disbelieving laugh.

"Not your average jogging speed, of course," Thawne added. "We're talking time-travel speed. The kind you'd have needed to restart your day, only this time, you'll be going back seven years."

"How fast _exactly_?"

"By my calculations, Mach Two at a minimum."

Barry huffed and leaned over a nearby table.

"If it was easy, everyone would do it."

His jaw tightened for a moment before he straightened up. "Fine. Where is this device?"

Thawne held up a finger, wagging it side to side. "Nuh-uh-uh. _Quid pro quo_. You need to let me out first."

"Not a chance. You tell me first, then I let you out."

"But then, what guarantee do I have that you'll actually keep your promise?"

"My word," Barry snarled, "which is worth a hell of a lot more than yours."

Eobard shrugged. "I'll concede that point, but the fact is, I've been tricked by the Flash too many times to trust you, either. And I know how easily emotions can blind you." He leaned against the back of his cell, sitting down. "You have six hours to make a decision."

"Or what?"

Thawne blinked rapidly, then broke out into laughter. "Oh, spirits, I buried the lead!" He grinned. "I put in a kind of…failsafe, in case I was ever captured or detained. See, you've been holding me here for around sixty-four hours now, which means there are only six left before the contingency is enacted."

"What contingency?"

A sinister glint flashed in Thawne's eyes. "Your father. Dying."

Barry paled instantly, his entire body going numb as he stumbled back against the table.

"If I'm not there to cancel the countdown, a special bomb I built will reduce him to atoms. I understand your conflict and trust issues, but the fact is, if you ever want to see your father again, you really don't have a choice." He leaned his head back against the far wall. "I'll let you think it over."

The numb speedster slowly strode from the room, stumbling out the door and leaning against a nearby wall, lungs hyperventilating. He dipped into his pocket and pulled out his earpiece as soon as he was out of sight of the guards. "Guys, please tell me you heard that."

"Loud and clear," Asami replied in a low tone.

"I need—I need some air."

Ten minutes later found the Flash on top of the Yue Bay lighthouse, numbly staring off into the distance. _He's out there. Somewhere in or near this city, my father is trapped in a building with a bomb ready to incinerate him and everything around him._ He squeezed his eyes shut. _Wasn't one parent enough, Thawne?_ A noise from behind caused him to whirl around, relaxing a moment later.

"Thought I might find you here."

Barry nodded blankly, resuming his vigil.

Metal plates clacked together as Lin sat down next to him with a sigh. "Look, kid…I understand why you're hesitating to let Thawne out of the loony bin, but…this is your dad we're talking about. The chance to get a member of your family back, someone you thought was dead for the past seven years."

"I know," he replied quietly.

She looked over at him. "Then what are you waiting for?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Something…something that puts us ahead of him instead of making us play his little game."

"Barry…this is the opportunity you've been waiting for since you became the Flash. If you go back and prevent all this, what does it matter what Thawne does now? It won't make a difference."

"I know." He was silent a while. "I know."

She let the silence continue a while longer before a long sigh left her throat. "You were right."

He frowned and shrugged. "When?"

"Earlier, at the airfield, when you said I didn't like the prospect of losing you." Lin shifted uncomfortably, her face twitching. "It's…not easy for me to admit, but…frankly, the prospect terrifies me." She looked over to see him gaping at her. "And the only consolation I have, for what little it's worth, is that I won't remember I ever knew you once this is all over. That you'll be home, with your father and mother, living the life you were always meant to have. No longer having to deal with all the pain and heartache of losing them every time you close your eyes. No more nightmares, no more tragedy. You'll be free, Barry."

He looked away, arms around his knees, and rocked himself for a bit, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Something in his eyes changed, and he shot to his feet, Lin following a moment later. "Whether he keeps his word or not, I need to save my father. We caught Thawne once. If he flies the coop, we can do it again."

Lin nodded. "Agreed. Station?"

He nodded back, then picked her up and sprinted into the city.

…

2 minutes later

RCPD HQ

The Flash and Chief Beifong entered the holding area and ground to a stop just out of sight of any of the guards, the former adjusting his clothes before rounding the corner of a hallway.

Only to stop short and gape when he saw Thawne standing free, right next to a man in a blue hood.

Lin snapped her cables from their mounts, hovering them above either shoulder as she snarled at them.

"Well, Mr. Allen," Eobard began, "it would seem I didn't need you to set me loose after all. You see—" he waved at the man next to him, "—I kept Mr. Snart on retainer in the case of exactly this kind of situation."

"What did you do with all the cops?" Barry snarled.

"Don't worry," Snart deadpanned, "I only froze their legs…Flash."

The speedster's nostrils flared, eyes flashing.

"But—" Thawne interrupted, "—in the spirit of cooperation, I left the coordinates of your father's safehouse in my cell. By the way, I think I was out a little longer than I estimated after the Arrow…well, you know." He smirked and leaned forward a bit. "You actually have less than ten minutes to save him."

Barry's eyes widened and jaw dropped halfway open. He glanced at a tense Lin, who nodded to him.

"Go," she ordered.

The Flash's jaw tightened as he sprinted past the cons and into Thawne's cell. A small sheet of paper was retrieved and read over several times. Barry huffed. _I don't believe it. For the last year and a half…he's been right here, right under our noses._ He sped up one floor to retrieve one of his suits, then sprinted out into the city. His index tapped his earpiece.

"Guys, I know where Thawne's been keeping my dad! I'm heading there right now!"

"Got it, Barry," Mako replied. "Be careful."

Two minutes passed before he reached the location, shaking his head slowly. The web and tangle of vines was all around him, a disbelieving breath leaving his chest as he approached the vine-entangled cabin in the distance.

"Allen," Lin said in his ear, "you there?"

He tapped his earpiece. "Yeah, I can hear you."

She sighed. "Thawne and Snart escaped. I couldn't stop them. He just ran right out, didn't even try to fight.

Barry frowned and nodded as he place his hand on a handle. "Understood." The moment he was through the door, his heart leapt from his chest. _Dad…_

Henry's head snapped in his direction, fury on his face for a moment before it shifted to shock. "Barry!"

He blinked rapidly, zipping to his father's side. "How did you—"

"He told me everything, or at least as much as he was willing to divulge." A bright smile split his face in a way it probably hadn't for years. "Spirits…look how you've grown…"

Barry smiled, but stopped and looked around the cabin, then reached for the restraints holding Henry down.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, wait!"

"Dad, that's not an option! This place is rigged to blow any minute now!"

"I know, but if you break or damage any of these restraints, those explosives are gonna go off _instantly_."

"Then how the hell—" The Flash looked around, then started tearing apart the cabin's paneling, exposing wire after wire after explosive charge until he found the trigger mechanism. "Oh no…you've gotta be kidding."

The device was completely and utterly foreign.

He tapped his earpiece. "Asami, I'm looking at a bomb that's wired to my dad's chair. I've got no idea how to disarm it."

"What does it look like?"

"Ah…large, metallic, glowing blue with a whole lot of wires sticking out of it. And it's got a timer for less than two minutes."

"Is there any way you can move Henry, maybe by moving the chair instead of him?"

"No, his chair is wired into the building itself. I disconnect that, this all goes boom, and I've got no idea how big the blast radius is, otherwise I might take my chances."

"Knowing the Reverse-Flash, it's gonna be big."

Barry's lips pursed hard as his mind raced. "Come on, 'Sami, a minute thirty. We're running out of time!"

"I know, I _know_!"

"Asami." Only heavy breaths were heard on the other end for another ten seconds. "Asami!"

"Barry—I can't. I don't know. It doesn't sound like any kind of trigger I've ever seen. Probably future tech."

Barry's heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach.

"It's beyond me. I'm sorry." Her voice broke. "I'm so sorry."

The timer ticked down to fifty seconds before the silence broke again.

"Phase me."

Barry's head snapped over to his father, lips parted slightly. "What?"

Henry licked his lips. "I don't know how this whole 'Speedforce' thing works, but I do know that Thawne can go through solid objects—and transport other solids _with_ him. What if you do that with me? You can vibrate me through this chair, get me out without damaging the restraints."

"But I—I don't—I've never—"

"There's a first time for everything, Slugger." Henry smiled. "I have faith in you."

Another second passed as Barry glanced at the timer, reading only thirty-five seconds left. "Okay…okay, I'm gonna try this."

He zipped over to his father's chair, rubbing his palms together. _Please let this work._ He put both hands on Henry's arms, seeing the man nod once, then beginning to vibrate the appendages at increasing speeds. About ten seconds in, he tried to move him, but the cuffs held true. His breathing pace increased tenfold as he tried again, another five seconds passing without effect.

"You can do this, Barry. I believe in you. I always have."

The Flash closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his mental countdown reaching ten seconds. Ice-blue eyes snapped open as he vibrated his entire body, faster and faster until lightning was streaming off his form and his father's face became an indistinguishable blur. The timer reached five seconds when he yelled and pulled hard.

Nothing offered resistance.

A streak of golden lightning flew out of the cabin a split-second later, a massive explosion engulfing the cabin and a forty-foot radius around it as they sped off into the distance. They finally came to a stop in a nearby alley, Barry breathing heavily and his father shaking his head to get the dizziness out. The Flash pulled his cowl back and off, Henry grinning from ear to ear and laughing freely as he grabbed his shoulders.

"You always did look good in red."

Barry grinned back and yanked him into a fierce hug, holding him tightly as the reunion he'd dreamed about for years finally came to fruition.

…

10 minutes later

Future Industries Airfield

"So…this is where the magic happens."

"Yep. And this is my team, Dad." He waved to each respective member. "Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow, Ronnie Raymond, Detective Mako, Chief Lin Beifong, Asami Sato, and…Martin."

Asami smiled warmly at the doctor, holding out her hand. "It's so good to finally meet you, Mr. Allen."

"Likewise—from the papers, I mean," he replied with a smile, "and please, call me Henry." He took and released a deep breath. "Strange…breathing free air again."

"Hopefully not for long," Barry said, his own smile fading a bit. "Listen, Dad…there's something I have to tell you, about Thawne. The offer he made me—"

Henry held up a hand, his smile dropping off. "I already know. He explained it to be right after he finished assembling this…device."

Cisco frowned. "Was it, by any chance, glowing and shiny?"

He pointed at the engineer. "Yes, exactly."

Barry turned to Cisco. "Cisco? There something you didn't tell me?"

The engineer shrugged and chewed his lower lip. "You had a lot on your mind, and I didn't think you—"

"Cisco," Asami interrupted.

He stayed silent for another moment before he nodded and waved the team toward him. "Come with me."

Cisco led them to the lower level, a large, open circular area—with a glass box in the very center.

"Meet the speed engine. Or, at least, the harnessing component of it."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Hey, that looks like—"

"Thawne's containment cell."

He pointed at it. "So, he sits in there while that turbine powers the speed engine, which funnels Speedforce energy into the box. He soaks it all up and gets faster than ever."

"Exactly," Cisco confirmed. "But—I think I may have found a way to turn it against him, to stop him once and for all."

Barry's brows furrowed as he faced him. "Explain."

He waved them over to a control booth overlooking the box and spread out a bunch of decrypted papers. "See, this here is a diagram for the power assembly matrix of the speed engine, effectively a converter for all the power the turbine gives the engine into Speedforce energy. Thing is, I made some calculations and analyzed just how much juice this thing can carry."

"And?" Asami asked.

He grinned. "Dude…it isn't even close to full."

"Okay," Barry replied, "but how does that help us?"

"Because—" he shoved another paper in front of them, "—we can reverse the effects."

Barry's jaw dropped as he and Asami looked the notes over.

"If we manage to reverse the polarity of the converter, instead of expending the turbine's energy into the box—"

"We can use the engine suck _his_ energy into the turbine," Barry finished, looking up at the machine. "We can take his speed. Permanently." He grinned at his engineer friend. "Cisco, you're a genius!"

He held up his hands. "Let's not get overexcited. That conversion's gonna take time." His smile faded. "And that's assuming you want to stop him, and not take his offer."

Barry frowned and fell silent, pacing the room.

"Don't do it."

Everyone froze, every eye turning in the direction of the source, Barry gaping at his father in shock.

"But—Dad…if I stop him, if I save her, we'll be a family again."

Henry took a step toward him. "We _are_ a family."

"Not like this," Barry protested. "Not without Mom."

He put his hands on his son's shoulders. "Listen to me, Barry. There is a natural order to things. Things happen the way they do. We may not know why at the time, but there must always be a reason." His jaw worked. "Now, I believe that. I've _had_ to believe it."

"I can save Mom," Barry whispered brokenly.

"At what cost?" His lips pursed. "When Thawne explained this whole 'time-travel' thing to me, he said everything would change if you took his offer. What if it changes you?"

"I don't care!"

"I do."

Barry stared at him, eyes welling up.

"Now, I may not have been there in person all these years, but I have watched you grow up through the eyes of newspapers, report cards, and yes, even Eobard Thawne. And I am…in _awe_ of the remarkable man you are becoming. All the things you've achieved, and not just as the Flash, but you, Barry." He smiled. "Your honesty, your heart. You were _always_ a hero, and your mom would be just as proud." His grip on Barry's shoulders tightened. "And if she had a say in this, if she thought for one _second_ that you going back to save her would mean you losing what makes you so special, she would _never_ want that."

Barry's jaw clenched as his features twisted in pain, the room looking on helplessly as he listened.

"Barry…what I hope for you—maybe the greatest thing that a father can hope for his son—is that one day, you will become a father yourself. And then you will know how much I truly love you."

Barry sniffled, wiping the back of his hand over his nose and eyes as he straightened up. Suddenly, the phone rang, and the team stared at it for a while before Caitlin picked up and answered, her features twisting in anger for a moment before she looked over at Barry.

"It's for you," she nearly snarled.

He nodded and strode over. "What do you want, Thawne?"

"To keep up my end of the bargain. I assume you got your father out in time?"

He glanced at Henry. "Yeah, no thanks to you."

"Oh, I couldn't make it _too_ easy, now could I? And besides, without my coordinates, you never would've found him in time."

Barry's jaw tightened. "So what now?"

"Now, we activate the device and you run through time while I stand at a safe distance, say, one-point-five miles away."

"Why?"

"Because, in order to enter the portal you'll be stabilizing, I'd need to exert just enough speed to break the chronal barrier. Which I can do, but not for long enough to jump on my own volition. It'll take everything I have for just one shot at getting home."

"And if you fail?"

"Well then that's my problem, now isn't it?"

Barry's jaw tightened, his father shaking his head slowly. "Fine. Where do you want to do this?"

"Corner of 8th and Chestnut, thirty minutes. Come alone."

He promptly hung up the phone, striding toward the staircase.

"Barry," Henry protested, "I said—"

"I know what you said, Dad. But it's my life. My choice." He looked up at his father. "Please, Dad…trust me enough to respect my decision."

The doctor's lips pursed hard, but he eventually nodded.

Barry smiled a little and exited the control booth, making for the staircase just as a blue-clad figure limped through the door. His jaw dropped. "Korra—you're walking."

She smiled at him. "Was just a dislocation, not a break. Thanks to you, my legs are back to full speed."

The speedster's lips pursed as he stood there at the base of the stairwell, eyes glancing from Korra to the stairs to the speed engine. A hard breath left his lungs as he made a decision.

"Cisco," he called, motioning the engineer out.

"Yeah," he replied rather sullenly, "what's up?"

He gave his father another glance. "If this doesn't work the way Thawne says it will, and something goes wrong, I want you and Asami to be working on reversing the speed engine. If this portal scheme doesn't work, he'll be coming for it, and you need to make sure he won't be a danger to anyone else if I fail."

He nodded firmly, moving to get right to work. "You got it, buddy."

Barry breathed again as he strode into the control booth, facing his team and the last of his family. "Guys…if this is it…you should all know something." His lips pursed. "You are the best…and wisest people I've ever known. Kind, compassionate, just." He sent a look Korra's way, voice dropping to a near-whisper. "No one could possibly ask for better." He smiled at the lot of them. "Thank you."

Asami was the first to break, her arms going tightly around his taller form as she held him close. "Barry…promise me something."

"Anything."

"If you succeed, and you _do_ remember anything from this life, please…find me." She wiped her eyes. "You taught me what it's like to have a little brother. That's not an experience I would trade for anything."

Barry smiled warmly and nodded. "I promise." He looked up and around. "And that's a promise I'm making all of you, right now. If I can, I'll find you."

Cisco was next, unable to speak past a lump in his throat, but a wide smile saying everything he needed to. Ronnie and Martin each shook his hand, the latter giving him a knowing smirk. Caitlin gave him a small but exceedingly warm smile, a stark contrast from the way they'd first met, and pulled him into a full hug for several seconds.

"Good luck, Barry," she said softly.

"Thanks," he replied with a smile.

Mako approached him with a poker face on. "Guess this is it, huh?"

Barry shrugged. "Guess so…partner."

The detective snorted. "You always were, Bear." He hugged him close and slapped him on the back. "See you on the other side."

"Yeah," Barry whispered, pulling apart.

Lin came next, an unreadable expression on her face as she held out her hand. "You pull this off, kid...then I've seen everything."

He arched an eyebrow. "You said that when I first became the Flash. Seen a lot more since then."

She smirked. "And yet, after a certain point, the impossible things you can do cease to surprise me. That was the day I learned all I needed to know."

Barry stood there for a moment, processing her words, then broke out into a wide grin and embraced her fully, the stunned chief freezing for a moment or two before giving in and holding him back. When they pulled apart, she blinked several times, obscuring what Barry could've sworn were tears. The chief stepped back and resumed her game face a moment later, Henry stepping forward next.

He put a hand on Barry's shoulder. "No matter what happens, Slugger, I love you, and I'm proud of you. Never forget that."

Barry smiled and gripped his shoulder back. "I won't." They embraced for several seconds. "I love you too."

And then, finally, _she_ stepped forward, and the room fell utterly silent. No one followed as she grabbed his hand and led him from the room into the atrium.

Korra sighed as they came to a stop, her hands holding each of his. "Look…Barry…"

"I'm sorry."

She looked up at him.

"I know what I'm doing right now is selfish."

"No, Bear. It isn't. It's righting a wrong that should never have happened, that was never _meant_ to happen. Thawne was the one who changed things, who screwed everything up in the first place. You're just changing them back. You said the universe has a plan? Well, consider this getting things back on track."

He stared at her for several seconds, lips parted. "I don't know what I'll do…if we never know each other, if we never meet. The year I've had with you—Korra, being with you has been the single best part of my life."

She smiled sadly. "Nothing lasts forever."

Barry's face twisted as his eyes filled and he gripped her hands tighter.

"And hey," she said, tipping his head back up, "if there _is_ a plan, and the universe wants us to be together, we will be."

"You really believe that?"

Her smile widened as she nodded. "I do."

Barry gulped hard, admiring her ocean-blue eyes one last time. He leaned toward her inch by inch until their lips met softly, pressing together harder after a moment, both wanting to savor every moment they had left together until finally, they broke apart.

Korra sighed hard, then looked up at him. "Go. Save your mom. End this."

The Flash gulped and nodded firmly, his features setting as he gave the building one last look. His mask went over his features a moment later as he took a breath and steeled himself, then took off like a viper bat out of hell.

* * *

AN: Well, boys and girls, here we are. The next chapter should be the end of Act I and usher in Act II. There will be some _considerable_ time gaps in Act II, partially because I really want to get to the meat of Book Four, partially because I don't want to make this story seem like it's dragging on and on. In either case, stay tuned for the epic conclusion to the Reverse-Flash storyline.

Oh, and by the way, I remember saying a while back, in chapter 7 or 8 I think, that if you thought you knew what was going to happen, you really didn't. Take that as gospel, especially for the next chapter. That's all I'll say.

Please review at your leisure.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	32. Parting

Parting (adj.): in the process of leaving or being separated from someone.

10 minutes later

Republic City

11 months, 3 weeks after the fall of the Red Lotus

The Flash came to a stop just eight feet from his reversed counterpart, a frown on his face as he glanced between him and the cylindrical device he'd mounted on the ground.

"Right on time, for once," Thawne remarked. "Surprising but not unwelcome."

Barry gave him a sarcastic smile. "So how exactly is this gonna work?"

He crouched and manipulated a few controls on the device. "Simple. You run in a circle until you pass Mach Two." He stood and faced Barry. "When that happens, the outside world will fade into the edges of your consciousness, and something else will replace it: a blue tint, almost like a curved screen on which you'll see events unfolding. What you'll be seeing is the Speedforce itself, past, present, future, all at once." Thawne began to pace around the device. "What you have to do is focus, concentrate on that night, think about your house, your mother. And then, when you see it all unfolding, when you can see it clearly in both your mind and the Speedforce, you use this."

Thawne handed him a trigger device, which Barry took with a wary stance.

"The activation key for the wormhole generator. You'll have to move fast, because the moment you turn it on, its inherent instability will begin to affect the world around it. But don't worry, once you run through, all that will be fixed. Just remember, if you don't go in fast enough, you, and everyone in this city will die…for starters."

Barry nodded slowly. "I understand." He looked back up at Thawne. "Once I do this, you're going back to your own time."

"Of course. For the last seven years, it's all I've ever wanted."

The Flash's eyes flashed as he closed to barely a foot of distance. "Don't _ever_ come back."

Thawne stared at him for several seconds, upper lip twitching. "Agreed."

Barry nodded once, firmly then looked back to the device and nodded again. "I'm ready."

"Good luck, Flash." Thawne sped away in a flash of red lightning, leaving Barry alone with the device and its trigger.

He took and released a long breath, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them and staring into the distance. The Reverse-Flash had picked the perfect location for this little run, ironically enough the exact same plaza where Barry and his team had disarmed six bombs in the timeline he'd prevented. He had the exact line of movement he needed to build up enough speed. Pursing his lips, he tapped his earpiece. "Hey guys, how's that reconfiguration going?"

"It's going," Asami answered. "Should take us another ten minutes or so…not that it matters."

Barry frowned and nodded. "Yeah," he replied quietly. "Here goes."

He closed the link a moment later, then set up on the edge of the plaza in a runner's stance, taking several deep breaths. Lightning danced in his eyes an instant before he took off, his centripetal acceleration faster than anything he'd ever accomplished. The sound barrier was left behind mere seconds into his run as slowly but surely, a trench began to form in the dirt surrounding the plaza. About two minutes in, the world faded to grey much the same as when he'd stopped the tidal wave, only something else happened as well. A loud whir preceded the appearance of a billion blue streaks, the glow of the Speedforce filling his vision as he looked around, startled.

The images that flooded his vision held his attention for nearly a full minute. A vision of his younger self being shoved to the floor by Tony Woodward. Korra in tears back at the airfield. Asami and her father speaking with bars between them. A metal body as tall as a skyscraper. Gaping at the last one, he shook his head and focused on that night, seven years ago, saw the fabric of the wallpaper, the smooth waves of his mother's hair, the spark of lightning dancing off Blackout's hands. His jaw tightened as that night filled every inch of his consciousness, the feel and sounds and sights of it permeating his senses.

Suddenly and unbidden, something else flashed through his vision: Korra, her hair disheveled and splayed, back leaned against Naga's chest as the polar bear dog looked down at her slumped form sadly.

She looked at least a year older than she did now.

Barry's eyes widened as he tried to clear it away and focus on the past, but it refused to leave his mind, and the more he fought it, the clearer it became. His eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched as he kept running, fighting back the feelings of guilt and hopelessness that kept building inside him. He opened his eyes to see his mother's face, smiling down at him in his bed as a child, her expression almost knowing.

 _Mom…I'm so sorry._

…

Eobard Thawne glanced at his watch for the third time since leaving Barry alone with the device and wondered, not for the first time, what was taking so long. He'd already broken the sound barrier several minutes ago, and the whir of air was clear enough to indicate he was still running, so why hadn't he triggered the device yet? At last, the whirring stopped, and his head snapped up in the direction of the device as a broad smile crossed his features. _Finally._ His hands moved up to pull the cowl over his features as he took and released a deep breath.

Coiling up, he took off toward the portal at a sprint, pushing his body and command of the Speedforce to the limit as red lightning bled from every inch of his form. Halfway there, he knew something was off, and the moment he reached the edge of the plaza, he realized what that was, his body grinding to a halt three feet from where the portal was supposed to be. The fact that the air wasn't glowing wasn't the problem. After Barry ran into it, it should've become little more than an aberration in the clear air, a breach made visible only by an alteration resembling the exhaust of a flame.

But there was nothing.

No alteration, no squiggly curves bending light around the portal. It was just clear air. And the spot where the wormhole generator was supposed to be was empty, the ground still ruptured from where the stand's spikes had held it in place, but nothing else even indicating that it had been there. Suddenly, a flash of golden lightning streaked past him, and several pieces of shiny metal bounced on the ground, most of them bent, broken, or otherwise misshapen. It took him a second to register it as the remains of the generator.

"Looking for that?" asked a hateful voice on his right.

Thawne crouched down and pulled his mask off, reaching out for the generator, his hands brushing over its metal surface as he stared at it, mouth agape. "You didn't save her," he stated in a near-whisper. "Why?" he asked, looking up at Barry. Fury swept through him as he shot to his feet. "Why?!" He snarled, fire flashing in his eyes. "You could've had the life you always wanted. You could've had _everything_ you ever wanted!"

Barry's upper lip twitched as he just shook his head. "See, that's the difference between you and me, Thawne." He took a step toward him. "You were _always_ craving something you didn't have, always looking to take what wasn't yours. The face of Harrison Wells, the powers of the Flash." He shrugged. "A world _without_ the Flash." Barry pointed an accusing finger at him. "It was _your_ meddling that stranded you here, that put us in this situation." He jabbed his thumb into his chest. "And you tried to drive _me_ to make the exact same mistake." They started pacing around each other. "You ask me why I didn't go back, when I could've have had everything I ever wanted? The answer is simple." He stopped, lifting his arms to indicate his surroundings. "I already do."

Thawne scowled and flared his nostrils, fire in his eyes as they began to glow red. He reached back and pulled his yellow cowl over his features. "Not for long." His neck turned to one side, cracking, before he lunged for the Flash.

…

Barry sprinted away into one turn after the next as the Reverse-Flash pursued him with vicious abandon, putting a finger to his ear. "Guys, how's that modification coming along?!"

"Barry?" Asami asked. "It—it's taking a bit longer than expected, but we should have it done soon, why?"

Barry ducked under a rage-driven haymaker, countering with an elbow that impacted Thawne's lower chest and slowed him down a bit. "Because I disabled the portal generator, and Thawne's pissed."

A stunned silence occupied the line as the Reverse-Flash closed the distance.

Barry ground to a halt, waiting for him, then withdrew step by step as Thawne roared and threw one blow after the next, his anger making him reckless, and his previous drain before reaching the plaza slowing him down. It was only a slight reduction of speed, but enough to give Barry a fighting chance. He countered a lightning-fast cross with a hook that worked his opponent's jaw around. His head snapped upward when the Reverse-Flash threw an uppercut that landed and stunned him for a half-second. When Flash's head came down and he didn't see Thawne, he dashed to his left a step and whirled around with a spinning backhand that slammed into his temple as he streaked past. Yelling in rage, the Reverse-Flash regained his footing and started running again, pursuing Barry down one street after the next.

"Asami?!"

The line crackled for a moment. "Barry, it's Korra. The engineers are a bit busy at the moment. Are you okay?"

"I'm—fine!" he ducked another strike, but felt his back light up in pain when a shard of concrete was thrown. Hissing in pain, he kept running, making several more turns to throw his pursuer off. "Just get it done, and get ready! I'm comin' to—"

Barry's sentence was cut off when his eyes widened at the yellow streak on a collision course for him from the side. He yelled in pain when he felt his body slammed and thrown through the air into a dumpster. He recovered in less than a second, rolling away from a punch that put a dent in the dumpster and countering with a trip-kick that Thawne leapt over. Lightning struck again and again as they ran through the city, their blows moving faster than ever before as the world around them slowed to a crawl. They ran alongside each other as they reached the waterfront, their movement stirring up a miniature sandstorm as their visibility was reduced.

Flash ducked under an elbow from Reverse-Flash, countering with one of his own to Thawne's lower ribs. His nose felt an impact a moment later as he was backhanded in the face, his left fist slamming into Thawne's gut as retribution. They both rolled to a stop, the sand causing them to skid considerably. Once he regained his footing, the Reverse-Flash lifted his arms and rotated them at extreme speeds, stirring up the sand around him to create a funnel of abrasive projectiles and fling them at Barry. Some rocks were picked up along with the sand, and together everything pelted him at high speeds until he was knocked off his feet.

When Thawne picked up the pole of an umbrella and detached it from its top, he threw it at the recovering Flash before he could catch it in time. Clenching his teeth, Barry vibrated his molecules at an extreme speed, the high-velocity projectile just passing right through him as genuine surprise shone on his opponent's features. He used that moment of shock to tackle the Reverse-Flash and run him into a moving car, putting a sizeable dent in its side and leveling a half-dozen speed punches on him from all angles before he could recover. When he did, he grabbed Barry's outstretched fist and countered with a heel kick to his gut.

The wind knocked out of him, Flash stumbled back a few steps, trying to regain his footing. Before he could, a yellow blur slammed into him from multiple angles, eventually sending him flying off his feet and into the street in front of the pre-dawn traffic. A horn honked at him loudly as he tried to move, feeling his body propelled off the ground and into motion. The brief relief he felt was eliminated as soon as he saw the brick wall he slammed into, creating a sizeable crater in the process. Groaning and in body-wide agony, Barry tried to push himself upright, feeling every fiber of his body protesting when the Reverse-Flash reappeared in front of him.

He registered the long, thin metal object in his hand a split-second before it stabbed through his upper leg.

Barry shrieked in pain as the rebar pole went through his thigh, its tip piercing the ground beneath partway as Thawne recoiled from a wild swing to keep him away. Chest heaving, Barry reached down and yanked the pole loose, letting out another agonized yell as he dropped the bloodied weapon on the ground. Barely managing to push himself upright, he dashed and took another swing at Thawne, the other speedster easily dodging his sluggish attack. He swung wildly a few more times before the Reverse-Flash zipped around to his other side and slammed the side of his head with a powerful hook.

He tripped him and stomped on his injured leg hard, then kicked him in the ribs several dozen times before allowing Barry to stay on the ground, writhing in a world of pain. The younger speedster heaved for breath, black spots swimming in his vision as he rolled over to look up at Thawne. The Reverse-Flash eyed him for a moment before crouching down and grabbing him by the neck, then shoving him against the same brick wall from before.

"You know," he said, "you might actually have won, considering how much I expended myself thinking I was finally going home." He snarled. "That is, if you'd decided not to take me on alone. But I suppose you felt the need to face me, defeat your arch-nemesis once and for all." He wagged a finger at him. "Guess your ego outweighs your heroics, doesn't it, Barry?"

The Flash winced and smiled sardonically. "Seven years you've watched me grow, and you still don't know me at all. I'm not the only hero in this city, and I trust them to do what's necessary, to be there when I can't. That's the difference between you and me. I'm not alone."

Thawne arched an eyebrow at him, tipping his head downward and looking around exaggeratedly as his right arm began to vibrate. "Really? I beg to differ."

"They don't need to be _here_ to beat you, Thawne."

The Reverse-Flash's glowing eyes narrowed and lips parted in confusion as Barry's earpiece clicked on.

"Barry, you there? If you can hear me, it's done."

The Flash smiled wider. "It's over. The only other hope you had for getting home is gone, dismantled by my friends."

Thawne's eyes widened in alarm. He abruptly released him and sprinted off toward the airfield, dropping Barry to the ground as he lay there immobile, trying desperately to recover.

"Barry?" Korra asked, voice alarmed. "Barry, are you okay?"

He tapped his earpiece. "I'm alive," he groaned. "But he got me pretty good. Get ready. Thawne's coming for the engine, and you need to make it look good. Ach!"

"Okay…okay, the moment we're done here, we're coming for you. Just hang on."

Barry nodded several times, releasing several choppy breaths and laying his head back as he let his body rebuild itself.

…

Future Industries Airfield

"Move, people! He's gonna be here any second!"

Lin, Mako, and Firestorm formed up on the entrance of the speed engine's chamber, Korra, Asami, and Frost in the back, closest to the engine itself. Cisco and Henry were in the control booth, hoping against hope and making sure everything was in place. The first attack was fast and nearly broke their line entirely, throwing Lin and Mako twenty feet back. Firestorm put a wall of flame between Thawne and the engine, flying up ten feet to get beyond his reach, though he soon found himself being tackled from behind as the Reverse-Flash leapt off a wall at high speeds. He pounded Firestorm repeatedly on the way down, and only a quick flare of his flaming body kept him from being knocked unconscious.

Korra stomped and sent several concrete projectiles his way, taking a step back and letting Caitlin coat the ground with ice when Thawne made a dash for her. He skidded across the slicked floor uncontrollably, right into two electrified kali sticks swung by a very pissed-off Asami. He yelled and tumbled across the floor, the six defenders dashing for him and attacking from all sides. Flame blasts from Korra and Firestorm pushed him toward a cable grab by Lin, but Thawne knife-handed the metal at extreme speeds, shearing through it and grabbing it with a spin. He spun so fast, he actually managed to yank the chief off her feet and into a high-speed wheel kick.

As Lin impacted a nearby wall, Asami and Korra flanked Thawne on either side up close, the former swinging her sticks and driving him back step by step as Korra sent repeated air blasts his way. Pummeled from two sides at once, Reverse-Flash eventually set his stance and pointed his arms toward each of them, rotating hard and catapulting them both back into the walls with air blasts of his own. A stream of flame washed over his body as Firestorm bombarded him from above, and for a moment, it looked like they'd won. That is, until Ronnie and Martin saw him spinning at extreme speeds in place, his motion taking the fire and effectively turning him into a living, flaming top—that headed straight for Caitlin.

A lightning strike hit Thawne from the side as Mako pointed and knocked him into a wall, then threw fireball after fireball in his direction. Thawne twirled around one attack after the next, backhanding Mako hard and picking him up to throw him into a recovering Lin before slamming her chest with a metal-denting punch. Coughing and out of breath, the chief was unable to regain her footing as Firestorm set down across from Caitlin.

The couple exchanged a look before Ronnie spoke. "You ready?"

She nodded, her eyes turning from a gentle brown to pale blue in the next instant as her hands were encased in a sheet of ice. "Now!"

Thawne sprinted toward them, jets of fire and ice streaking toward the speedster as he dodged and weaved around their attacks. Finally, he arced toward Caitlin, then away when she blasted ice in his direction. He ran right between the two just in time for their extremely powerful streams to cross, the backwash blinding them both for a brief moment. It was enough for Reverse-Flash to blindside Frost, his fist slamming into her temple and instantly knocking her unconscious.

"Cate!" Ronnie screamed as soon as he saw her go down. He followed a moment later when Thawne did the same to him.

The rogue speedster inspected the wreckage of the room with a self-satisfied air for a moment before he glanced toward one end of the atrium to see something—or rather, the absence of something. Before he could respond, two metal cables wrapped around his body from behind, his head turning around to see Korra and Asami standing there.

"Do it!" Korra yelled.

Thawne's red eyes went wide as Asami twirled her sticks to an underhanded position, then stabbed them both into the cables, sending extreme voltage into his body. The Reverse-Flash shrieked in pain as he collapsed to his knees, fighting to stay conscious. Snarling, he looked back up at the pair and started to vibrate, his body soon becoming engulfed in red lightning. The more he vibrated, the less the electricity seemed to affect him until he grabbed the cables with both hands and spun his body like a turbine, effectively yanking Korra off her feet as he reeled her in. Vibrating through the cables before she came down, he leapt upward and uppercut her—hard.

Her head and body snapped back, then flew into another wall as he hit her again and again, legs collapsing beneath her as a cacophony of bruises began to form. Asami charged in from behind with both kali held high, but he caught her wrists before they fell and head-butted her hard, then kneed her in the lower chest and tossed her into the wall next to Korra. He was actually breathing hard by the end of it, but swiped his palms across each other tauntingly nonetheless.

"A valiant effort, to be sure, but in the end inconsequential."

He streaked into the control booth a moment later, Cisco and Henry staring at him with wide eyes. The latter yelled and charged at him with the fury of seven years of captivity, but he found his back slammed against a wall and the wind knocked out of him a moment later.

"Really, Henry?" Thawne cocked his head. "You know better." He let him go and zipped in front of Cisco, who was all that was standing between him and the speed engine's critical systems. "Get out of my way, Cisco." His right arm started to vibrate. "Now."

The dark-skinned man's eyes flickered over him with fear, but he tightened his jaw and stood firm, shaking his head.

Thawne sighed and let his arm fall to his side, then pinned him to the wall and chucked him next to Henry. With that annoyance out of the way, he pulled back his cowl and inspected the engine's systems. A gloating smile came to his face a moment later.

"He calls _this_ dismantled?" Eobard glanced at Cisco and Henry, the corner of his eye catching Asami slumped against the doorway. "I _knew_ he was bluffing." He thumbed the engine's power systems on, then made for the exit. He only got one step before stopping, something registering on his face as he stepped back and gave the panel a closer look. A long breath was exhaled as an approving smile came to his face. "Oh…Ms. Sato, you _are_ a genius." He glanced at her, reading the fear in her eyes. "You reversed the polarity of the power converter." He bit his lower lip, nodding at the panel. "A subtle change, one that I might not have noticed otherwise."

His body became a red-rimmed yellow blur as he undid the work of nearly half an hour in seconds. "But as I've told Barry time and time again…" he faced Asami with a smug smile and shrug, "I'm always one step ahead."

Thawne streaked past her and into the atrium, where a partially recovered Mako and Lin attempted to flank him. He simply dodged their attacks and chucked shards of concrete at their injured forms. The fatigue inflicted on their bodies prevented them from dodging, so they were pelted until they fell over, hitting the ground hard. He opened the glass box with the push of a button, hearing Korra's roar of "No!" a moment before he turned around and grabbed her by the neck, stopping her charge and lifting her off the ground.

"Don't worry, Avatar," he said with a smile. "In short time, this will all be little more than a bad memory."

Thawne chucked her to the other side of the room, her body landing next to every defender that had failed to stop him as he stepped into the box and activated the machine's startup sequence. He took a long breath and exhaled it just as slowly as a small smile came to his face.

"Home," he whispered, closing his eyes and reveling in his victory.

…

Barry's earpiece crackled to life as he managed to regain his footing after trying and failing to run back to the airfield.

"Barry!"

He tapped his ear. "Dad! What's happening?"

"Whatever the scientists did to the machine to counteract its effects—Thawne undid it. He's activating it now, and there's no one left to stop him!"

Barry's features twisted in pain and hopelessness. "I can't either. I can't stop him."

"Barry—"

"You don't understand. He put a hole through my leg. I can barely walk." The Flash bent over in pain and fell to one knee, the blood flow from his leg stopped but little keeping it from rupturing again. "I can't do it, Dad."

…

Henry's eyes darted to the machine, watching as its conduits began to light up, then turned back to the radio. "Listen to me, Barry."

…

The Flash snapped to attention with his father's firm tone.

"We are counting on you. These people, the whole _world_ will be in jeopardy if Thawne succeeds. I know he's beaten you before, but if _he_ wins now, we lose _everything_."

A brief vision of the Korra he saw in the Speedforce flashed through his mind.

…

Henry's jaw tightened as he stared at the machine, more and more power building in the nexus above the central box as Korra uselessly pounded it with her elements. "Now, I may not have been there in person all those years, and I may not know the Flash very well…but I _know_ my son."

…

Barry's eyes squeezed shut as his jaw tightened.

"And I know that the man Nora and Henry Allen raised is the kind of person who _never_ gives up, _especially_ when the people he loves are on the line."

More visions came, of Mako's death, Caitlin freezing, Firestorm's detonation.

"You were always a good man, Barry, but you chose to become _great_ , to become the Flash."

He saw Oliver's grin as they teamed up to take down Bivolo after their fight, Korra's easy smile as he held her, Lin's approving nod after he took down the Mardons.

"So get up, Barry."

He saw the man in yellow, the Reverse-Flash, standing over him victorious, victorious over him, over the Avatar, over everyone he'd ever hurt.

"Get up and show the world why I'm _proud_ to have you as my son."

A vibrating hand dipped to the hole in his leg, the lightning sparking off its surface sending static shocks through the appendage as he felt his flesh knit back together, a pressure inside building to critical mass as his jaw tightened and features set.

And then his lightning-rimmed eyes opened.

…

Thawne stood in the center of the engine, a smile on his face as his eyes remained closed, hearing the whir of the machine's last stage, its primary capacitor charging up to release an incredible amount of Speedforce energy into his body.

It was completely overshadowed by the crack of thunder that split the air a split-second later.

Thawne's blue eyes snapped wide open as his jaw dropped, voice at a whisper. "No."

The wall of the room closest to the waterfront rippled ever so slightly an instant before the Flash's form phased right through, his body flying toward him as his right hand snapped out hard. The box shattered instantly, shards of glass and metal flying everywhere as both speedsters flew across the room, rolling to a halt. Thawne was the first to push himself to a crouch, his eyes staring at the destroyed machine as it powered down, jaw on the floor. He slowly turned his gaze back to a recovering Barry.

"What have you done?" he whispered, shooting to his feet. "What have you done?!"

Barry snarled and sluggishly regained his footing. "If I can't undo your evil…you don't get to get away with it."

Thawne's entire body shook with unabated rage as he reached back and pulled his cowl on, then sprinted for the Flash with deadly intent.

…

Barry met him barely halfway, catching his first blow and returning one of his own. Thawne shoved him away and swung repeatedly, the Flash staying just out of his reach, then sprinting in circles around the room, their roles finally reversed. He ran diagonally up a wall as Thawne made a grab for him, spinning mid-step to drop-kick him in the chest. The Reverse-Flash roared and made for him again, the two trading punches at this point as Thawne released every scrap of rage he had. Barry managed to block every shot in a dozen-punch combo before ducking the last one and trip-kicking him successfully. Thawne grabbed his arm and twisted hard, throwing him to the ground as he barrel-rolled away at a high speed.

Korra managed to push herself upright, leaning hard against a nearby wall as she watched their battle unfold, the others slowly rising to join her, barely able to move.

The Flash and Reverse-Flash ran around the atrium a dozen times in the space of a second, every step punctuated with a blow, whether it landed or not. When Thawne tackled him off a wall, Barry drove both his elbows down into his back, then kneed him in the chest and shoved him off. The moment they hit the ground, Reverse-Flash made a break for him, but his blow was caught and used to throw him to the ground, just the way Lin had taught him. A half-dozen punches impacted the Reverse-Flash's chest before Thawne kicked off the ground and slid toward Barry, taking out his legs from under him.

He took off once more, crossing the room before Thawne could regain his footing, then running up a wall as he did the same on the other side. They leapt at each other, Barry managing to tackle him upward. But Thawne popped his hips back and managed to get both legs to make contact with the wall behind him. He shoved off as soon as he was completely coiled up, both falling toward the atrium's far wall as he punched Barry repeatedly, leveling two dozen speed punches from every angle and kicking his injured leg for good measure. Barry yelled in pain, collapsing against the wall as he felt his mask pulled off and neck pinned.

"Just so we're clear," Thawne snarled, "after I kill you, I'm going to kill them—" he pointed at the rest of the team, "—and then I'm going to kill your father. I always win, Flash."

Barry grunted and leapt upward to plant both legs on Thawne's chest hard, catapulting him across the room and into what was left of the box. Snarling, the Reverse-Flash regained his footing as Barry hit the ground, legs barely functioning and hands grasping about for anything he could use to his advantage. His left stopped when his fingers came into contact with something hard and long, managing to push himself upright. He saw Thawne's right arm begin to vibrate, red lightning sparking off the appendage right before he charged full-speed, yelling at the top of his lungs. Barry yelled right back as he fell into a crouch at the last tenth of a second, his left and right hands taking hold of something and pointing it in Thawne's direction.

And then there was silence.

The quiet lasted barely two seconds before a wet sputtering was heard, and Thawne stumbled back one step before his legs gave out, a bloody hole in his lower abdomen. A foot-long metal spike, a broken part of the box's frame, sat in Barry's hands, the last eight inches of it coated in blood. Thawne tried to push himself upright, but couldn't even manage a crouch, and glanced down in horror before pulling his cowl back and looking at Barry, body shaking.

"What—what did you do to me?"

Hissing in pain, the Flash managed to stand up and take a step toward his enemy. "I stopped you, once and for all." He approached Thawne with measured steps, a slight scowl on his face. "Your rapid healing will keep you alive, but there are some things even _we_ can't walk away from."

Thawne managed to get himself into a rough seating position, but his legs still refused to cooperate.

Barry held up the spike when his opponent finally looked up at him. "I put this through your lower spine. Severed the connection between your brain and your legs."

His eyes widened, looking down at the appendages in question.

"You're paralyzed, Thawne. And you'll stay that way for the rest of your life." Barry tossed the spike aside, crouching down next to him. "I wish that it hadn't come to this. I can't even imagine what it'd be like, going from one of the fastest men alive to a cripple…" he stood, looking down on Thawne with pity in his eyes, "but you left me no choice."

Thawne's body kept shaking as the rest of the building managed to make their way to the pair, Korra and Barry sharing a brief relieved smile. "This isn't over, _Flash_ ," he snarled. "I _always_ win." His right palm reached up and twisted the emblem on his chest, then pressed it in with a click.

That click was answered with a loud roar that came from outside. Barry and the others went outside, Lin and Mako carrying Thawne out in cuffs as they all saw a blue glow emanating from somewhere in the middle of the Spirit Wilds.

Barry turned to the paralyzed speedster with alarm in his eyes. "What did you do?"

Thawne chuckled, eyes on the ground. "I told you, I'm always one step ahead. You remember that generator you destroyed?" He looked up at Barry with a triumphant smile on his face. "I planted a second one long before tonight, in the supports beneath your father's cabin. I made sure it was intact as soon as Mr. Snart sprung me from my cell and hooked it up—to this." He tapped his emblem. "Unless you run into that portal, travel through time and space, this city—and the world will be destroyed."

"The world?" Korra asked, glancing at Barry with shared alarm. "What are you talking about?"

He chuckled. "Oh, didn't I mention that? The portal will continue to feed long after Republic City is reduced to nothingness. Soon, this planet will be nothing more than pinprick in the middle of the cosmos." His eyes went back to Barry. "Unless you use it."

Barry stared at the light, feeling a firm hand on his shoulder moments later and turning to see Korra's fearful eyes boring into his.

"You can't," she said firmly.

"Korra—"

"If this doesn't work, you'll die!"

He grabbed her arms and faced her fully. "And if I don't try, so will everyone else!"

"There's a third option," Lin said, turning to Thawne. "You created that device, you know how it works. And you're the Reverse-Flash, always one step ahead, which means you have a contingency in the event that it went haywire." Her green eyes narrowed dangerously. "You know how to turn it off."

Thawne chuckled, wincing at the pain in his abdomen. "I do. But I won't."

A chill fell over all present as they processed the situation, Mako eventually huffing and shaking his head in disbelief.

"You idiot," he breathed. "If you don't stop it and Barry doesn't stabilize it, you'll be destroyed too!"

Thawne laughed outright. "I know! But as they say in this time—" his eyes turned to Barry as they flashed with fury, his smile fading to a snarl, "—totally worth it."

Korra's breathing increased in rate as she started to pace, on the verge of a panic attack.

"Korra," Barry said softly.

"Barry, please!" she shouted, grabbing his arms in desperation. "Please don't go. We can find another way!"

He looked back to the city, seeing how everything around the glow was being bent and distorted. "But by the time we do, Republic City will be nothing but a crater." His head shook as he faced her. "I can't let that happen. All these people, Lin, Mako, my dad…you." His lips pursed. "I won't let them die."

Korra's eyes filled with tears as her bottom lip trembled.

Barry turned his eyes to the ground as his own features twisted. "Korra…whatever happens…" his head snapped up to face her, "in case I can't tell you later—"

"Barry, please, don't even—"

"I love you."

Her body, her entire being froze, jaw and eyes locked wide open as they stared at each other.

He gulped hard, licking his lower lip and taking a deep breath. "I love you."

Korra's ocean-blue eyes flickered from one of his to the other as pain and fear filled them. Her hands yanked his head to hers, lips mashing together as she kissed him fiercely, the intensity shared for just a few moments before they broke apart. She took a few more shuddering breaths before her hands tightened around his shoulders, eyes drifting up to meet his. She stared at him for a moment before nodding once and releasing him.

He turned to face the rest of his friends and family, similar fears and hopes reflected in each of their eyes, but also pride, and no one was more proud than Henry Allen, who gave him a smile and slow nod. He smiled back a little, pulling his cowl over his head and facing the portal.

"Run, Barry," Korra said quietly, features hardening as he looked over at her. "Run."

His head turned back to the portal, eyes narrowing as they filled with lightning, the sun at his back as he took a deep breath, jaw tightening in focus. And then the Flash took off.

…

 _My name is Barry Allen. I am the fastest man alive._

A red streak sped into the heart of the city, past cars and shops and screaming, panicked people running in the opposite direction.

 _A friend once told me that I was meant to become the Flash, that I was chosen._

He sped through the streets, twisting and turning every quarter of a second as he built more and more speed.

 _I didn't know why until now._

He twisted around the portal, far past it, all the way to the waterfront, then sprinted in a circle around the city's edge, thunder cracking in his wake.

 _Now I know that it always_ had _to be me…because it isn't the powers that make a man. It's the man that makes the power._

He sprinted past the waterfront several times, passing Yue Bay and the lighthouse he'd visited so often.

 _The power to destroy…or to save._

He ran past the airfield, glimpsing blurry figures looking on him with hope.

 _To be a killer…or a hero._

He ran and ran and ran, faster and faster until the world around him faded to grey.

 _A devil…_

At the last second, he turned toward the center of the city, his maintained speed causing a foot-deep trench in the streets as he shot toward his target.

… _or an angel._

…

The blue of the portal flared with blinding light a split-second before it dissipated entirely, only a small wisp in the air ever indicating it was there. The air stilled, and all became quiet. An hour later, first responders were busy cleaning up the mess, the bruised and battered Chief of Police overseeing the operation while her best detective took statements. All the while, a blue-clad form watched that wisp for another blaze of light, for any sign of movement. Three hours later, there yet hadn't been one.

And there wasn't. Not for a long, long time.

* * *

AN: Drop the mic!

Well, that's it for Act I. I can already feel the haters and flames starting up, so let me just head all that off now by saying that THIS IS NOT OVER. I'm hoping to get Act II started up in the next couple of days, but with exams and projects coming up, that might be a while. Fingers crossed that it doesn't take too long.

Okay, for those of you who have seen season 2 of _The Flash_ —or at least what's out so far—and are wondering about the whole "paralysis" thing, one: Thawne's powers are artificial and, as we've already seen, limited. His regeneration, though immensely powerful, is not the same as Barry's, and two: in episode 6 of _The Flash_ , Barry's spine was just broken in one place, not severed entirely.

As the bulk of Book Four of Korra happens two and a half years after the beginning of this story, I've got a lot of time to burn between here and then, which is part of the reason I decided to go this route. The other reason, as you'll see in the next chapter, is—well…you'll find out. I really don't want to spoil it. It's too awesome.

Another reader already brought this up, and I can definitively say that no, there will not be an Act III to this. I never considered it a viable option, and I still won't, considering how long it's taken to wrap up Act I. I've focused quite a bit on the whole "Flash" side of this crossover, and not enough on the Korra side, so the next act will be much more focused on her. Since Book Four revolves around the Earth Kingdom and Kuvira's regime, expect a lot more crossover with Team Arrow and the situations that are happening over in Ba Sing Se. If my collaborator and I ever get around to writing the Arrow side of this, you'll see the full extent of the Flash's interference. Until then, you'll just be getting hints and snippets in _Angel_.

Anyway, if you guys have any questions, comments, concerns, or emotional outbursts, feel free to review this chapter and please—for the love of God, don't flame me, no matter how frustrated you may be. I promise I do not like leaving my readers at cliffhanger endings, so inasmuch as possible, I will get started on Act II as soon as metahumanly possible. I hope you enjoyed the first part of _Angel_ and are looking forward to some more, because like I said before…this is _not_ over.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 – Catch Me If You Can: start-1:30—"A valiant effort" to "Home"; Impossible Thing: 2:13-end—"Listen to me" to "proud to have you as my son"; Closing the Wormhole: start-0:37—machine charges up to "No", 0:37-1:53—final showdown, 1:53-2:21—Thawne paralyzed, 2:21-3:20—Thawne triggers the device to "totally worth it", 3:20-3:44—Korra pleads/"I love you", 3:44-4:05—the kiss/saying goodbye to "Run, Barry, run", 4:05-end—the Flash takes off/Barry's realization/saving Republic City


	33. Returning

Returning (adj.): in the process of coming or going back to a place or person.

Republic City

The city was beautiful at this time of night, just after the blue glow of post-sunset faded away and the stars were out in all their luminescent glory. Lights weren't just in the sky either, but on the ground, in the streets and buildings. Light never really left the city, and especially not the park in its center. That place was always lit up, a constant reminder to the citizens and the world of the price of freedom, the sacrifice made to save them from certain death. A reminder that heroes lived among them, coming in all shapes and sizes, from every walk of life.

The place was never lacking for visitors, whether that was a group of tourists, resident spirits, police academy students, or the people who knew the whole story. Some left letters, some left flowers. Some just stared up at the gigantic marble monoliths bearing the smiling forms of their heroes. On this particular night, nothing was any different than it had been before. The sky was bright and starry, the air cool and crisp. Tourists and residents alike milled about, visiting street vendors and a series of markers that stretched to locations across the city.

But several blocks away, in the press and tangle of the Spirit Wilds, an aberration in the air, just a few feet off the ground, rippled and curled, its surface twisting and altering until it began to glow. A few nearby spirits cleared out in a hurry, watching from a distance as it turned from an amorphous pattern of glowing lines into a glowing blue ellipse. A loud whir sounded a split-second before a blurred figure streaked out, a trail of golden lightning tracing its way toward the waterfront. The spirits exchanged confused looks before returning to their nightly business.

Meanwhile, the lightning trail streaked across the water of Yue Bay, past a cadre of startled White Lotus guards and into the window of a third-floor room of a building on Air Temple Island. A red-clad figure stood there, looking around confusedly for a few moments at the dark, empty room before streaking back out the window and into the city.

…

RCPD HQ

Chief Lin Beifong was running over a few last details about a case in the Dragon Flats with one of her detectives when a giant blast of wind came from the exit. About to scold the idiot airbender who'd decided to make a scene in her precinct, her jaw froze halfway open when she actually turned around, eyes going wide. The entire precinct rose to its feet, the room falling silent in shock.

The red-clad figure took two steps forward, a grin stretching across his face as he held his arms out to the side. "Hey, Chief. You miss me?"

When they just kept staring, he started to shift uncomfortably.

"Um…hello?"

Lin blinked several times before her eyes closed and fingers pinched the bridge of her nose, the chief taking a moment to catch her breath and push back the sting in her eyes. Eventually, she opened them and spoke. "As a matter of fact, I did." She outstretched her hand. "It's been a while, Flash."

He took it, a confused expression on his masked face as he cocked it to the side. "Not… _that_ long. I mean, what, did you think I was dead?"

A soft murmur flowed through the room as the cops all shifted and Flash drew closer to the chief.

"Chief…what am I missing here?"

She put a hand on his arm. "Flash…there's something I have to tell you. Can you take me to the park? About two, three blocks from where you ran into that portal?"

"Well…yeah, but why—"

"Just do it," she interrupted firmly. "There's something I need to show you."

He frowned but nodded and grabbed her, streaking out the building a moment later. A minute after that, they were standing in the middle of the park, every tourist, resident, and spirit that passed stopping to stare at him.

"Okay," he said uncertainly, "why do I get the feeling I've missed something very important?"

"Because you're missing the obvious," she replied, pointing toward the center of the park.

The Flash's eyes widened as he stared at the pair of statues and approached them with slow steps, Lin taking the moment to observe him. She couldn't tell with that mask still on, but he looked no different from the day he'd run into the portal. That emblem on his chest, though…gone was the red surrounding for his lightning bolt, replaced by a pearly white backdrop that accentuated the gold and made it "pop." On his right middle finger sat a gold ring with the Flash symbol on it, much like the Reverse-Flash. As she looked back up to his face, refocusing on the moment, she saw his jaw drop as he read the glass-encased newspaper at the base of his statue aloud.

"'Flash Vanishes in Crisis,' by Linda Park. 'After an epic street battle against the Reverse-Flash, Republic City's own Scarlet Speedster vanished in an explosion of light.'" He looked back to her. "This is dated the day after I went in. And people just…assumed I died?"

She approached him with measured steps. "You didn't exactly give them a reason not to."

He looked at the other statue in alarm. "And Korra—is she—"

"She's fine, last I heard, but you—"

"I mean, usually, people don't put up statues of you until you're long dead, at least a couple of months."

"Flash—"

"But really, two days? They couldn't have waited a little longer?"

Lin's jaw dropped and eyes widened as he kept ranting.

"Besides, how long did it even take to build this thing? Did they have the workers going day and night?"

"Barry," she interrupted in a sharp whisper.

His head snapped to her. "What?"

Lin took a deep breath as she steeled herself. "You weren't absent for two days."

He blinked and stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"You've been gone for over a _year_."

Barry's jaw dropped to the floor as his eyes widened to their max and started darting around. He began pacing as his breathing rate increased to hyperventilating proportions, head snapping in one direction after the other. "A year," he whispered to himself.

"Barry," she said quietly, reaching for his shoulder.

The moment she touched him, he whirled around and grabbed her shoulders. "Where is she?"

Lin blinked. "What?"

"Chief…where is she? I checked her room on Air Temple Island and she wasn't there."

"Barry," she began warningly.

"Lin! Where—is—she?"

Her eyes closed briefly as she sighed. "Home. She went back to the South Pole."

The Flash was gone in the next second, despite her shouts of protest.

…

South Sea

2 years after the fall of the Red Lotus

The Flash left behind the water of Yue Bay barely a minute into his mad dash, making for the south as fast as his legs could take him, mind running just as fast.

 _A year. A_ year _!_ _I can't believe this._

The sound barrier was left behind somewhere near the beginning of his run, but he scaled himself back from reaching Speedforce-level velocities, fearful of any further alterations. The hour it took him to reach the compound was far longer than he'd wanted.

…

White Lotus compound, South Pole

Two guards were conversing atop the wall of the compound when something caught the eye of one. The other followed suit a moment later, and together they gaped at the approaching lightning streak, watching it run right past them as they were dumbstruck. One turned to the other.

"Should we warn them?"

"What would be the point? He's a friendly."

"Well…yes, but you know—"

"Yeah. I think tonight's one of those rare times when _no_ one wants to be the Flash."

…

Barry sped through the upper-floor balcony of the compound's main residence, his mask coming off as soon as he was indoors. The various servants and guards gave him sideways looks and more than a few gapes, the smiling speedster waving to some of them as he rushed from room to room. _Come on, come_ on _, where_ is _she?_

He came to a halt the moment he passed an intersection leading to a healing chamber. He took a step back and let his eyes widen and a smile spread over his face as he saw the back of a set of familiar braids swinging back and forth. Barry ran right in front of her, the wind from his movement sending her hair flying upward for a moment before she fixed it, not even looking up at him yet.

"Tenzin, come to tell me to be patient aga—" She stopped and stared at him as soon as her eyes registered the red suit, mouth agape.

Barry smiled at her widely, tears pricking at his eyes as she raised her left hand to his cheek, shock written all over her features.

"Barry?" she whispered.

"Yeah," he answered just as quietly. "It's me."

Her palm laid flat against his cheek for a moment, and he leaned into it as his eyes closed.

They flew open a second later when blunt pain exploded through his left jaw and he went flying to the ground. He groaned and laid his hand against the injured part, looking up to see Korra scowling down at him, fists clenched, shoulders shaking and eyes filling.

"Okay," he groaned quietly. "I didn't see that coming."

Her nostrils flared as she stared at him for another couple of seconds. "Get out," she snarled.

He blinked hard. _Or that_. "What?" he asked in shock.

She just shook her head and marched toward her room, fists clenched. He regained his footing just as she went through the door and ran after her.

"But Korra, it's me, I'm back!" He froze the moment he looked inside, mouth running completely dry as his jaw dropped.

"Goodie," she deadpanned, crouching down and leaning back against Naga's massive form, her body slumped over. Her hair was still messed up from his high-speed entrance, the braids displaced and rogue strands askew, the whole thing completely disheveled. Naga whined a little as she looked down at her owner.

 _No…no, this can't be happening…_

"Korra, I—"

"Just go," Korra whispered, barely glancing up at him. "Run." She slumped over further, tucking her knees into her chest. "It's what you're best at."

Barry felt like a dagger had just been thrust into his chest and driven in with a sledgehammer, but he walked away without a word, too stunned and heartbroken to run. Because of that, Senna was able to catch him before he ran out the balcony window.

"Barry," she called, fast-walking up to him. "You're leaving so soon?"

His head shook slowly, voice at a broken whisper as tears fell from his face. "I shouldn't have come in the first place."

She put a hand on his arm. "Please, at least stay for dinner. It's the least we can do, and after you ran all the way from Republic City, you must be starving."

Barry wanted so badly to refuse, but his stomach betrayed him with a comically loud growl. Senna gave him a knowing smile that completely disarmed him, and with a sigh, he nodded. Minutes later, they were seated at a table one floor down, Tonraq and Katara joining them almost immediately. Korra's father was looking the speedster over carefully, but Barry had eyes only for his food, which he ate slowly, with no motivation.

After a while, the chief sighed audibly and set down his plate. "Barry, I think we're all just a bit shocked that you're back, after being away for so long. I mean…how could you have thought any different would happen after all this time?"

"That's the problem," he snapped. "It wasn't long at _all_ for me. Just a couple of days, really."

Tonraq stared at him uncomprehendingly.

Barry looked back down at his plate. "You want to know why I was away? Fine. Guess I have the time, since there's really nothing better to do." He sighed long and hard, rubbing his face with both hands as the table's occupants gave him their full attention. "Look…this is gonna sound crazy, like…crazier than anything I've ever said, but…" He braced his elbows on the table. "The moment I went through that portal…I didn't jump through time. I jumped through space." He gave them each a long look. "To another Earth."

…

1 year ago

Republic City

The Flash sprinted toward the unstable wormhole with every scrap of speed he had, well past anything he'd ever achieved before, and closed his eyes as he hit. The impact wasn't anything like he'd expected—which, admittedly, was something like a bug on a windshield—instead more like falling into a pile of cotton that expanded and flowed around you like water. He stared at his surroundings for a few moments, temporarily distracted by the blinding light, before refocusing on the task at hand and powering through to the other side of the hole. He ran out a moment later, exiting into a busy street and eventually skidding into an empty parking lot near the water.

Several relieved breaths were exhaled before he broke into exhausted laughter, his wrecked body bending over as he let it all out. When he looked up, something registered as being off. For one, the buildings here were a lot taller than he remembered, and two, the architecture was _completely_ different. _Someone do a remodel in the last five minutes?_ As his brows furrowed and he considered the conundrum, a familiar voice sounded from his left.

"Barry?"

He whirled around to break into a large smile, sprinting toward the source. "Cisco! Hey…what's goin' on, man?"

The engineer gave him a confused expression, pulling a lollipop from his lips and looking him over. "Uh…I dunno. Didn't I just see you like five minutes ago?"

He shrugged. "Well, technically, yeah, but…" he glanced around, "what's up with the buildings, man?"

Cisco looked too, then turned back to Barry with an "are-you-going-crazy" look. "Um…no different than yesterday, or five minutes ago. Why?"

Barry blinked rapidly, shaking his head. "I just…this is all wrong." He looked toward the building Cisco had just exited and pointed. "And what the hell is that?"

The engineer looked back, then gave him another "you're-crazy" look. "Dude…that's S.T.A.R. Labs," he answered, jerking a thumb toward it. "You know, where we…work? Do all the…super-heroing stuff?" When Barry just stared at him uncomprehendingly, he shook his head. "Are you feeling okay man?"

"Well…surprisingly? Yes, considering I just ran into a wormhole."

Cisco's features shifted. "Oh my God. Don't tell me."

Barry's brows furrowed. "What?"

"Dude, take off your mask."

He shrugged and did it. "Okay?" Something occurred to him a moment later. "Cisco, did you get older in the last five minutes?"

"Did you get younger?" he returned, looking down and pointing. "And is that the old Flash suit?"

Barry blinked hard. " _Old_ suit." He glanced down. "This is the one you gave me."

"Yeah, like a year ago." Cisco started pacing, his breathing rate elevated. "Oh…this is trippy." He pointed at Barry again. "This is _really_ trippy."

"Yeah, you don't say."

Cisco whirled toward him suddenly. "Dude, uh…you better come inside. There's a lot I gotta tell you. _We_ gotta tell you."

Barry's brows arched. "We?"

Three minutes later, with Barry looking around at the chrome-plated walls and elevators of a massive circular building, they entered a large, round room with light gray walls and fluorescent lighting all around.

"Pretty serious upgrade from the airfield," Barry said in admiration.

"Uh…dunno what you're talking about, but…we've been operating out of here for the last year and a half."

Barry snapped back to him. "Cisco, that's impossible."

"Impossible?"

Barry's eyes went wide as he slowly turned toward the door, disbelief written all over his face as he stared.

And Barry Allen stepped through the doorway to stop three feet from him. "Since when has _that_ ever been a problem?"

Cisco walked up alongside them. "Barry Allen, meet…Barry Allen."

They stared at each other for a few seconds before the younger Barry spoke up. "Well that's creepy."

The other Barry snorted. "You think _this_ is bad? You should see the stuff we have to fight nowadays. Couple weeks back, I got attacked by shark-man."

His eyes widened briefly. "You mean like a spirit-human hybrid?"

Cisco's eyebrows shot up. "A what now?" He shook his head. "Look, Barry—" He stopped when they both turned to him in tandem. "Okay, we need to get a solution for this whole same-name thing right now." He turned to the older Flash. "You'll be Barry-One."

"Wha—" he protested.

Cisco turned to the younger Flash. "And you'll be Barry-Two."

"Barry-One" raised his eyebrows at Cisco. "Really? That's the best you can come up with?"

"Don't argue with me, man. This is my jam."

He snorted, then turned back to Barry-Two. "So what's your story? Let me guess, got sucked through a wormhole and landed in a foreign Earth?"

He stared at his older counterpart for a second. "Something like that? Uh…technically, I ran into the hole…portal…thing."

"Portal?" Cisco asked.

He turned to him. "Yeah, like, you know, almost like a spirit portal."

Cisco's jaw dropped halfway as he and the older Barry exchanged a look. "Dude…no way."

Barry-Two turned and glanced at them both. "What?"

Barry-One sighed hard and looked back up at him. "Look…uh…Barry…there's a lot you don't know, and if what we're thinking is right…let's just say we should really compare notes."

…

6 hours later

Cisco and Barry-One were reeling from what Barry-Two had told them thus far, but nowhere near as much as Barry-Two was reeling from what _they'd_ told _him_. At the moment, the younger Flash was explaining how he took down his Reverse-Flash.

"—so the moment he charged at me, I pointed the spike and…" his lips pursed as he winced, "paralyzed him. Took him down for good."

Cisco glanced at his Barry. "Why didn't we think of that?"

He frowned and clenched his jaw briefly. "Zoom did."

Barry-Two's eyebrows shot up. "Zoom?"

"Yeah," Cisco answered, "a problem we could _really_ use your help with."

"Cisco," Barry-One interrupted. "We can't ask him to do that. It's not his fight. By all indications, him coming here was an accident to begin with."

"Yeah, but so were all the breaches, and Jay, and this whole 'inter-world connection.'"

"Look," Barry-Two cut in, "I've got _no_ idea what any of you are talking about, but I need to get back home." He quieted as they turned to face him. "Can you help me?"

Barry-One chewed his lower lip for a second before nodding. "We'll do everything we can, I promise, but we'll need our team for that, and they don't get back until tomorrow."

Barry-Two frowned and nodded. "So uh…" he glanced around, "you got a cot anywhere here?"

The other Barry smiled. "No need. You can stay with me and Joe for tonight." He nodded toward the door. "Come on."

Cisco gave him a goodbye wave as they exited the building. Once they reached the ground floor, the older Barry gave his younger counterpart a friendly nudge.

"So, how fast can you run?"

He shrugged morosely. "Never really tested my upper limits. Fast enough to break time, I'll tell you that much."

"Did you screw your reset up too?"

"How did you—yeah, I did."

Barry-One nodded slowly. "Happens to the best of us. Least until we figure out what we're doing." They walked out into the parking lot together, side-by-side. "So, you just finished taking down your Reverse-Flash. He's still alive?"

"Last I saw, yeah. But if I'm not back soon, I can't guarantee he'll stay that way."

Barry-One nodded in understanding. "Come on."

As his older counterpart broke off into a run, Barry chased after him through street after street, relieved in so many ways that for once, he was doing this without the context of a fight. Within minutes, they'd reached their destination, a quaint home on the edge of town. When Barry-One walked in, he looked around a bit.

"Joe," he shouted, "I'm home!"

"Got some Kung Pao in the fridge if you're hungry!"

"Yeah, uh, thanks." He turned to the younger Barry briefly. "I actually kinda need to introduce you to someone. Someone who'll be staying with us until we can get him home."

Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs as a dark-skinned man descended with a grin on his face. "Bear, you know how much I appreciate how much you care, but takin' in strays isn't exactly your—" He came to a stop as soon as he saw both Flashes side-by-side. He pointed at the younger one, still in his suit. "You're—"

"The Flash," he replied. "From…another Earth, apparently?"

Joe nodded slowly, his jaw working. "Bear, can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure," they answered in tandem before Barry-Two stepped back.

"Oh, he meant me," One said.

"Yeah," Two replied. "Got that."

"Go ahead," Joe called as they strode into the kitchen, "make yourself at home."

They disappeared for barely a second before the older man poked his head out again.

"And welcome to Central City."

Barry smiled at him and nodded his thanks. A few minutes later, the pair rejoined him, and Barry-One ushered him toward the stairs.

"Look," One said softly. "I know this is a lot to take in, but we already found a way home for someone else who came here by accident. Trust me, we'll figure a way to get you back in no time at all."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it, you know, you guys putting me up like this."

Barry-One smiled. "Hey, this is the Flash's home, no matter which Earth you come from."

He chuckled and nodded. "Well thanks anyway."

"Right in here," he said with a wave at what looked like a guest room.

"Thanks. Uh, there any chance I can get a change of clothes? Mine uh…" he looked down at his Flash suit, "mine are a bit flashy."

Barry-One nodded at a closet behind him. "Yeah, in there. Should be some old stuff of mine that'll fit you."

"Got it. Thanks. So uh…I guess I'll see you in the morning?"

"S.T.A.R. Labs, bright and early. Don't be late."

Barry-Two snorted a laugh. "I'm _always_ late."

Barry-One smirked. "Well I'm glad _that_ never changes. Good night."

"Night."

…

Next day

S.T.A.R. Labs, Central City

2 years after the particle accelerator explosion

Caitlin looked him over with an appraising eye, aiming a light in each of Barry-Two's eyes until she was satisfied with what she'd seen. "Your vitals all appear normal, for a Flash, anyway. And, other than some healing tissue in your right leg, you seem to be in perfect health."

"Thanks, Cate," he said with a smile, standing up. "Kinda weird not seeing you as a waterbender."

Her eyebrows shot skyward. "A what now?"

"I'll explain later," Cisco muttered as he passed her. "Bottom line, we need to figure out how to send him back to his world. Since all the breaches we know about lead to Earth-Two, we need to find one that'll shoot him to Earth…Korra."

Barry-Two's brows furrowed. "Wait, how do you—"

"Long story, bro. To solve this particular…conundrum, I've called in an expert."

The elevator dinged around the corner from the Cortex, a gray-haired man with glasses stepping in a few seconds later.

"I believe Mr. Ramon called for my assistance?"

Barry-Two blinked and stared. "Martin?"

He looked to the seated Flash. "Professor Stein, if you please." Stein paced over to the younger Barry. "Now, this is just fascinating. Another Barry Allen from a _third_ Earth with the exact same abilities as ours." His head shook. "Unbelievable."

"We need a way to get him back home," Barry-One said. "We've already developed a speed cannon to do that, but all the breaches we know about lead to Earth-Two, not his world."

"Well, I believe Cisco and I can be of some help there. We already managed to isolate all fifty-two of these breaches."

"But there's no way of telling which one them is his, and we can't just send him through them one by one, hoping for the best. That'll take days, if not _weeks_ , and that's _if_ he can even come back through."

Stein's head tilted to one side as he began pacing again. "Yes, Mr. Allen, I see your point." He stayed silent a while, looking over the two Flashes. "We'll get right to work, see if we can't figure something out."

Barry-One nodded to him. "Thanks, Professor."

A few moments passed before the clack of high heels came from the hallway and a gorgeous dark-skinned woman stepped through. "Hey Barry," she called, freezing when two answered at once. She looked them over, one to the other, then cocked her head slightly. "I've missed something, haven't I?"

"Yeah," Barry-One laughed, walking up next to her. "Iris West, meet Barry Allen from Earth-Korra. He's the Flash on his world."

She frowned at her Barry. "Wait, Korra as in—"

"Yeah."

Barry-Two frowned at them, not getting the inside message.

Iris turned to him and walked over, stretching out her hand with a smile. "Hi there."

He smiled back and stood, shaking it. "Hi. Good to meet you, Iris."

She looked him over carefully. "So…I'm since you didn't recognize me, I'm guessing there's no Iris West on your world."

Barry-Two looked up in thought. "Well…you do look kinda familiar. I just can't remember where I've seen you before."

"Well, at any rate, it's nice to have another friendly face around."

Barry-Two smiled and nodded to her as One walked around the Cortex's central computer to lean against its front, arms crossing.

"So," One said suddenly, "what have you figured out so far, where powers are concerned?"

He frowned and looked down. "Well, I figured out I could run up walls and on water pretty early."

"Yeah."

"And then there was the whole 'healing hands' thing."

"The what?"

Barry's head snapped to his older counterpart. "You don't know about that?"

He blinked several times. "I remember using lightning to restart Cisco's heart once."

"Well, you can also use it to create like a…field, a localized energy field. Near as I can tell, it speeds up the body's natural healing process like nothing else. I once used it to help a paralytic get back on their feet within six months."

Barry-One's eyebrows shot up. "Dang…you've been busy."

He shrugged and grinned. "Never enough hours in the day. Not even for the fastest man alive."

One groaned and stared at the ceiling. "Ugh, tell me about it. I used to think I had it bad back when I was just a regular CSI, but now? It's metahuman after Snart heist after evil speedsters—"

"Wait, back up…speedsters, as in two?"

Barry-One sighed and frowned, nodding. "Zoom. He showed up about six months after our wormhole closed." A snarl twitched at his upper lip as he put a hand to his lower right abdomen. "Two weeks ago, I faced off with him." He looked up at the other Barry. "It didn't go well. He put me in a wheelchair for a week. Honestly, I'm still recovering from it."

"I'm sorry," Barry-Two said genuinely. "I can't even imagine what that's like. Being paralyzed, I mean, not, you know, beaten. Badly."

He sighed and stared at the floor for a few moments before straightening up. "Anyway, you must be hungry. I know I am." He jerked a thumb at the door. "Big Belly Burger?"

Barry-Two pointed at him. "You're buying."

Barry-One grinned. "Race you there."

…

6 hours later

"Mr. Allen, I have some bad news."

Barry-Two frowned and worked his jaw. "Seems to be the normal these days. Lay it on me, Professor."

Stein glanced at Cisco, then motioned to the screen. "As you can see here, this is a scan of every breach in Central City, taken back when we first discovered their existence. Now, Mr. Ramon and I have been comparing them in every possible aspect, size, intensity, and so on. We've discovered no defining features on any of them. At least, nothing we can use to differentiate pathways to Earth-Two from portals to your world."

Barry-Two sighed and stared at the floor. "So, you have no way of sending me back." His jaw tightened. "Perfect."

"I wish I had better news. But we'll keep trying."

"Thanks," he said quietly, sighing hard as Stein and Cisco left the room.

Caitlin put a hand on his shoulder, smiling down at him. "We'll figure this out. Trust me, we've handled worse."

He smirked. "Somehow I don't doubt that."

He stared at the ground as Caitlin hovered over him protectively. A minute passed before the computer terminal in the center of the Cortex beeped loudly. Cisco was there in seconds, his brows furrowing.

"Assault and battery on Pine and Chestnut." He looked up at their Barry, who was entering the room from a run on the Cosmic Treadmill. "Says here the assailant is a woman, chucked a guy through a solid brick wall."

"Another meta," Barry-One mumbled. "Okay, let's get this done." He donned his suit in half a second, the white symbol on his chest catching Barry-Two's eye as he made for the door. "Oh, hey Dr. Wells."

"Mr. Allen."

Barry-Two's eyes widened in alarm as he shot to his feet, turning for the exit and staring when he saw the face of Eobard Thawne staring back at him from behind a set of black-rimmed glasses. He registered the name "Wells" a moment before he slammed him with a high-speed punch. His right fist unclenched slowly as his breathing rate calmed down. Evidently, Wells had recognized the instinct, since he had his hands up in surrender.

"Well…when I came to this Earth," he began, striding toward the seated Barry. "I certainly never expected to meet two of you."

Caitlin looked over to him. "Dr. Wells, this is Barry Allen from Earth…Korra."

He gave her a strange look.

"Barry, this Dr. Harrison Wells from Earth-Two."

Barry-Two nodded slowly, approaching him with measured steps. "Sorry if I seem a little…standoffish. It's just, the last guy who was wearing your face turned out to be—"

"I know," he interrupted in an annoyed tone, seating himself at the terminal. "I get that a lot."

Cisco smirked as Barry-Two walked past him, getting up to follow him into a side room.

"Yeah, Harry may not be a sociopathic killer, but he's not much less of a dick."

Barry snorted and shook his head. "Don't we have a metahuman to take down?"

"Uh…correction, _our_ Barry has a meta to take down. Things…work a little differently here."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I kinda noticed, from the…computer things to cell phones. And the Internet? _So_ helpful, been reading up on that a _lot_."

Cisco's eyes flashed with alarm for an instant. "Yeah, uh…maybe you…shouldn't do that all that much." He chuckled nervously. "You know, there's all kinds of crazy stuff you might find."

Barry nodded slowly. "Like finding out you live in a fictional world?"

* * *

AN: Hello all and welcome to Act II of Angel.

First off, I can't believe I wrote an entire chapter right after releasing the last one. Even for me, that's a bit overkill, but I couldn't stop myself. Well, that and I _really_ didn't want to leave you guys on a cliffhanger. Like I've said before, I _hate_ it when writers and shows do that.

Anyway, in case you all didn't figure it out, Barry from the Avatar world accidentally jumped into the CW's _Flash_ universe right in the smack middle of season 2. Well, not quite the middle. This particular crossover happens a bit after episode 7, Gorilla Warfare, so, obviously after Barry's first close encounter with Zoom. I don't intend on spending more than another chapter here, just because there's so much to get back to in Barry-Two's world, but I've wanted to have this fun little interlude from the beginning, just to have a bit of a change of pace and scenery.

At any rate, I hope you're enjoying this crossover within the crossover and are looking forward to the conclusion of the Earth-One arc. There will be some references to stuff that happens post-return to how that breach affected Earth-Korra after Barry comes back, but I really want to focus on the events of Korra Book Four, so there won't be much actual content relating to the multiverse and crossing between worlds.

As for the whole Korra situation…more on that to come in the next couple of chapters. Since Barry gets back right before Korra leaves the South Pole, he still has a bit of time before she drops off the grid to get the whole story…and you'll know when he knows.

Please review and recommend at your leisure.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	34. Stumbling

Stumbling (adj.): continuously tripping or losing one's balance.

S.T.A.R. Labs, Central City

2 years after the particle accelerator explosion

Cisco stared at him for a few seconds, mouth agape as he considered his next words. He was saved when their comm. system lit up and the other Barry's voice drifted through.

"Cisco, I need your help!"

He ran over and clicked the transmitter on. "Yeah, buddy, what's up?"

"This meta…she's strong, and not slow in the slightest. And it looks like she keeps…shifting, like her skin is constantly moving."

His brows furrowed. "That's weird."

"What?"

"I got the CCTV feed right in front of me, but it's like she's glinting in the sun, like she's bending the light around her."

Barry-Two's head shook slowly as the meta turned her face to the camera. "No," he said quietly, "that's not it at all." He hit the transmitter. "Barry, I know who this meta is!"

The team gave him a look, Cisco speaking up. "You serious?"

He nodded. "Her name is Amunet Black, and she has the ability to coat her skin in metal, like Girder!"

Cisco pointed at him. "Dude, that's perfect." He clicked his transmitter. "Barry, you get that?"

"Oh yeah!"

"And you know what to do?"

"Bring the lightning!"

Barry-Two gave Cisco a look. "Lightning?"

"Oh," Caitlin said, "yes, we may have forgotten to mention that. The Flash from Earth-Two taught our Barry how to throw lightning."

Barry's eyebrows shot upward.

She smirked. "We'll have to teach you that trick later."

The radio link between the Flash and the Cortex lit up with Amunet's voice.

"Well, Flash, I'll admit, I may have underestimated you. But the same could be said of you. See, Zoom brought me here to kill you, but why rush it?" On the video feed, they saw her lift a metallic device in her right hand.

"Don't do it!" Flash-One shouted.

"Already done." Her thumb depressed the trigger, sending explosions careening through every other floor of a high-rise at his back. "Good luck with that." Amunet took off into a side street as Earth-One's Flash glanced between her and the building, then took off toward the fire.

Barry-Two turned to the team. "I can chase her down."

"Barry," Caitlin said, "that's not such a good idea. Things work differently here."

"Not so different that I'm just gonna let a crook get away."

"No, you don't understand, you _can't_ go out there. It's too much of a risk."

"No more than I've experienced in the last year," he countered, donning his own suit.

"She means with Zoom."

Barry stopped in his tracks, turning to face a sour-faced Dr. Wells.

He rose from his seat. "Zoom is…obsessed with speed, and speedsters. He cannot rest so long as there is another speedster in play. He will target you and your world if he discovers your existence." Harrison frowned. "And I cannot allow another Earth to be risked like that because of my failures."

Barry gave the rest of the team a look. "What is he talking about?"

Caitlin sighed. "On his Earth, Dr. Wells built a machine, a particle accelerator that malfunctioned and released dark matter into his world. That dark matter combined with the cells of ordinary people and…permanently changed them."

"It's how metahumans were created," Iris added. "On both our worlds."

"And how Zoom was born," Wells finished. "I created him, and as such it is my responsibility to stop him. If you go out there, and Amunet reports back to him that there's another Flash in play, he will not rest until he's destroyed you and everything you care about."

Barry frowned, disgruntled, but nodded after a few seconds and sat back down. The other Flash sped into the cortex about ten minutes later, his features indicating a less than pleased disposition.

"How'd it go?" Iris asked hesitantly.

His head shook slowly. "Not good. Those bombs she set were placed at strategic structural weaknesses. Just enough explosive power to destabilize the structure but not enough to send it crashing down all at once. The first blasts killed over a dozen people." His head shook. "I barely got the rest out in time."

Iris put a hand on his with a reassuring smile. "You did everything you could."

Barry-One looked up at his younger counterpart. "You suited up?"

He frowned. "Yeah, but then they told me about Zoom and his obsession with speedsters."

"Oh…right. Yeah, probably for the best you didn't interfere." He touched his side again, wincing. "Trust me."

"In the meantime," Dr. Wells said, "we need to figure out a way to track down Ms. Black." He turned to Barry-Two. "Is there anything else you can tell us about her powers?"

"Well, on my world, she's an enhanced metalbender. In fact, all the metas where I come from are just enhanced benders…with a few notable exceptions such as myself."

"You said she can encase herself in metal," Cisco said. "Like Girder."

"Well, yeah."

"When I fought her," Barry-One remarked, "it wasn't like Girder. Her skin wasn't solid metal, it was constantly shifting and changing, the lattices re-forming every second, like her skin was constantly trying to eliminate defects in its crystalline structure."

"An apt analysis, Mr. Allen," Dr. Wells remarked as he typed into one of the computers, reading something on its screen for a moment. "All the same, since she is completely encased in metal, taking her down should be little problem thanks to your new abilities."

"It _should_ be, but she doesn't just use her powers. She's smart, tactical. Even when we fought, direct aggression was the last thing she used, right after the terrain and other elements of the environment."

"I don't suppose you happened to get a sample of the metal coating her body, did you?"

Barry smirked. "I may have gotten a few shavings when I smacked her with an I-beam." He reached into a zipper pocket of his suit, pulling out a small evidence bag. "All yours."

"Perfect," Wells said as he took the bag. "Time to find out exactly what she's made of."

"Well, I'll just be over here," Barry-Two remarked as he spun his chair. "Twiddling my thumbs."

Barry-One huffed a laugh and strode over to his suit's mount, putting it back in place as Barry-Two did the same with his, then returned to his chair.

…

2 hours later

Caitlin walked up to the seated Barry with measured steps, a hesitant expression on her face.

He looked up at her. "What's up?"

"I have to ask…you mentioned that to stop that wormhole from consuming your world, you ran into it, and it stabilized. What about Firestorm?"

He blinked and shrugged. "What about him?"

She bit her lower lip. "Did he help?"

Barry thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope. Him and all the rest, they were watching from a hill nearby. Couldn't have helped if they wanted to. They were all too heavily injured from their fight with Thawne."

She nodded slowly. "So, Ronnie…he's still alive?"

"Oh," he said quietly, the truth dawning on him. "Yeah…in my world, he is."

Her lips pursed as she nodded slowly. "And your Caitlin…she's there too?"

He smiled and nodded. "They helped save each other, in more ways than one."

She let out a shuddering breath as she wiped her eyes. "Thank you."

He rose from his chair and hugged her, surprise evident in the tension that followed, but she relaxed and held him back a moment later. He eventually released her and walked off into another room, seating himself next to a great deal of complicated equipment and examining it piece by piece. A presence behind him as he bent over an advanced microscope prompted a turn of his head.

"So," Cisco started, "what's the deal with you? I mean, like…your life over there? You have friends, family, you know, people you care about. That's why you're so desperate to get back."

He nodded slowly, looking off to the side. "And because I made a promise." He glanced up at Cisco. "To the woman I love."

Cisco grinned and nodded. "My man, the lady killer. Doesn't matter what world you're in, does it?"

Barry grinned back and shrugged. "Guess not."

"So who's the lucky girl?"

Barry looked up at him and leaned back in his chair smugly. "Avatar Korra."

Cisco's jaw dropped and eyes widened. "Dude…you just blew like a billion fandoms out of the water."

"Cisco!" Barry-One protested loudly.

"But he did!"

"He doesn't need to know that!"

Barry-Two looked between them confusedly. "Yeah, uh, I only read enough online to know that my world, according to this place, is completely fictional. I'm not about to read ahead into my future. Already seen the kinds of stupid directions time-paradoxes can lead in."

Cisco shrugged. "Fair enough. Bottom line: kudos, bro."

They gave each other a high-five as Barry chuckled, his eyes turning to Wells and staring for a few seconds before he shuddered a bit.

"I know," said a voice on his left. "Trust me, it took a while for me to not have to restrain myself from putting him through a wall."

The younger speedster shook his head. "I just can't believe this. Martin was right—my Martin, I mean. He said that the spirits of my world had known for a while that ours wasn't the only Earth. That the number was always in question, but not the existence." He shrugged. "I guess I never really took him all that seriously. Or at least never thought that theory would actually affect me."

Barry-One shook his head slowly. "Just roll with it. Honestly, any resistance you put up is just gonna make sure you get bulldozed over. And trust me, it takes ten times longer to put yourself back together if that happens than if you just let it come."

He frowned and looked at the ground for a moment.

"So, your team over there, who are they?"

"Yeah," Cisco added, "I'm kinda curious to know."

"Well, you're there," Barry-Two answered, pointing at Cisco. "And Caitlin too. You both work for Asami Sato."

Cisco's eyes went wide. "For reals?" He blinked a few times as Barry-Two gave him a strange look, the engineer grinning and mooning into the distance.

"What's up with him?" he asked Earth-One's Barry, pointing at him.

Barry-One smirked and shrugged. "Oh, nothing. Just…it's a pretty well-known fact among fans that she's the hottest person in that world."

Barry-Two lit up bright red.

"Come on," Cisco whined, "don't tell me you haven't noticed. I mean, you _are_ with the Avatar, but still."

He shrugged sheepishly. "Not really. I mean, yeah, she's attractive, but I uh…never really paid that much attention."

Cisco stared at him with a mildly disturbed look. "Dude…is there something wrong with your man-parts?"

Both Barrys gave him a horrified look, the one from his Earth speaking up. "Cisco!"

"I'm just sayin'!"

Barry-Two shook his head rapidly. "I am gonna pretend I did _not_ just hear that." He looked back up at Cisco. "Look, dude. Asami…she and I are…she's like my big sister."

Cisco's mouth opened in a massive "O," his eyes following.

"So…yeah."

"Probably not the best choice of words."

"Probably, yeah."

"So _anyway_ ," Barry-One interrupted, "what about the others? Unless that's it."

The younger speedster's head shook. "Mako's kind of an unofficial member of the team—and my roommate. And then there's my…boss? Mom?" He huffed. "It's kinda hard to tell which some days."

Cisco's brows furrowed. "Who now?"

He looked up at him. "Chief Lin Beifong." He shrugged. "She's…kind of been there ever since my mom died."

Barry-One and Cisco exchanged a look, the latter grinning as he let out a long breath. "Dude…jackpot man."

Barry-Two cringed. "Sometimes, yeah. I mean, she _does_ care, but…she's got some _really_ funny ways of showing it."

Barry-One snorted a laugh. "Like what?"

"Making my life a living hell before _and_ after I became the Flash." His head cocked. "Although…she did mellow out at some point. Kinda. Made me train first though, when I first became the Flash."

"Wait," Cisco interrupted, holding up a finger. "Yo, are you sayin' what I think you're sayin'?"

Barry looked up at him. "What?"

"You were trained…by Lin Beifong?"

He shrugged. "Well…yeah."

Barry-One just rolled his eyes and shook his head as Cisco started making absurd noises and walking in circles, a gigantic ear-to-ear grin plastered to his face the whole time. "He's nerdgasming at the moment."

Barry-Two gave him a look. "Wha?"

Barry-One waved a dismissive hand. "Earth-One slang. Doesn't matter."

"What _does_ matter is the composition of these shavings," said a voice from the cortex, prompting the three of them to move to the computer station. Dr. Wells glanced up at the two Flashes, brows furrowing as he looked from one to the other.

"What?" Barry-One asked.

"Just…trying to tell you apart."

The two Barrys exchanged a look, the older one glancing from Wells to Joe, who had just arrived, and grinning. "Can't be _that_ difficult. I mean, we're almost a decade apart."

Joe arched an eyebrow and grunted noncommittally.

Barry-One arched a brow. "What?"

"Let's just say there's a reason the beats call you 'babyface.'"

He sent him a deadpan look. "Thanks."

Joe smirked and strode over to the computers. "Dr.? You said you had something for us."

Wells' jaw worked for a moment as he gave the Flashes one more look, then returned his eyes to the computer. "Indeed I do. Those shavings you provided—" he frowned at the Flashes, still glancing between them uncertainly, "—contained large amounts of iron, copper, and zinc."

"So her skin is encased in a metal alloy," Barry-One concluded. "Just like Girder."

"No, Barry," Wells replied.

"Because," Caitlin added, "it also contained heavy traces of keratin and glycoproteins."

"Skin cells," they said in tandem, exchanging a look.

The older Flash straightened up and started pacing. "So traces of her skin were on the shavings, so what?"

"No, Barry," Caitlin said, "they _were_ the shavings."

Both Flashes gave her a look.

Wells rose to his feet. "Somehow, Ms. Black's metahuman abilities allow her to fuse metal directly to her cells."

"Is that even possible?" Barry-Two asked.

Everyone in the room sent him a look.

He shrugged. "Okay. Dumb question. Just…out of the ordinary, even for my world."

"Guess your metahumans must have a few more shackles than ours then," Cisco said.

Barry-Two snorted. "If only just a few. So how do we stop her?"

"This changes nothing on that front," Wells answered. "Only how the Flash is going to beat her." He sent a look at the younger Barry. " _Our_ Flash. _You_ will not be going anywhere."

He wrinkled his nose and sent Wells a narrow-eyed look.

"He's right," Cisco said. "Being a bit of a jerk about it, but he's right."

"I know," Barry-Two muttered, shoving off the computer terminal toward another chair and sinking in.

Silence reigned over the Cortex for a few seconds before the computer beeped loudly.

Cisco bent over the screen, a frown on his face. "Reports of assault on 13th and Mulch." He gave Barry-One a grave look. "Meta sighting."

He nodded to the engineer, giving his younger counterpart a look, then heading for his suit. "Check with Professor Stein about the breaches." He shrugged. "Might have something new."

Barry-Two stared at the ground as his older version sped out of the building, then looked up and walked off to find the professor.

…

The Flash of Earth-One sped through one street after the next on his way to the target area, finding a half-constructed building under attack and various beams and metal devices being tossed about. Screams sounded from the area as the workers scattered. One was stuck in the grasp of a metal-encased woman, Barry making to tackle her when a forklift powered up behind him, seemingly of its own volition. Doing a double-take, Barry sped away from the machine when it tried to drop a stack of crates on top of him. Amunet's shining body took on an orange tint in the blaze of the setting sun as she turned toward him, holding the man in her hands and grinning at the Flash madly.

Barry held up his hands. "No, don't!"

A sickening crack sounded across the distance as she squeezed his neck in half, his head falling to the side a moment before she dumped his body on the ground. "Wasn't sure you'd show up. After that explosion, I knew I'd need something big to get your attention."

Barry looked behind her at the broken body of the murdered man, grief filling his eyes briefly before he turned back to the rogue meta. His arms stretched out to his sides. "Well you've got it."

Before she could reply, he sped behind her and snatched up a pipe, dashing back to smack her across the back of her head. The pipe shattered in half on contact, and she reached back toward him, fingers missing by inches as he pulled away. He ran around her in circles at various distances, the meta charging for the golden wall every few seconds as she tried to snatch him, but he moved and adjusted too fast for her to catch. Eventually, she directed her attention sideways, and the air buzzed with energy.

Barry looked at her confusedly for a split-second before shifting his gaze in her line of sight. His blue eyes widened a moment before the wrecking ball shackled to a nearby crane smashed into the side of the building. His footing was lost almost instantly, but he regained it just as fast, running down a crooked beam and grabbing the fleeing workers two by two, then speeding toward the ground. He pushed himself to the limit, managing to evacuate three full floors before falling steel beams forced him to readjust his running pattern. A vicious roar sounded from above as Amunet dropped like a rock, swiping at him on the way down to the fifth floor and missing by inches.

Two more floors were cleared by the time Barry realized the rest of the building had already evacuated. He paused on the third floor to take a breath, noting the sudden quiet and feeling none too reassured about it. That feeling intensified to a fever pitch when a torpedo-like metal object shot toward him from above. He dodged its impact by a few feet, but lost his footing when the vibrations reverberated through the building's frame and fell thirty straight feet to land on the ground hard, rolling to a stop and letting out a groan as he rolled face-up. He hissed in pain as he pushed himself upright, shifting his gaze toward the torpedo, whose side burst open a moment later, Amunet stepping out.

"Tell me, Flash," she taunted. "Are you ready to die?"

The Flash glared and snarled slightly as his fists clenched and lightning danced in his eyes.

…

S.T.A.R. Labs

"Ah, Mr. Allen! I'm glad you stopped by."

Barry-Two looked at him with furrowed eyebrows and a confused expression. "Why's that? Has something changed?"

The professor sent him a wide smile and motioned to a nearby screen with a map of Central City. "As a matter of fact, it has. You see, I kept performing calculation after calculation, and one thing just kept _refusing_ to make sense."

Barry shrugged. "Okay?"

"You came out of a breach, somewhere near S.T.A.R. Labs." He tapped the building's location on the map. "Now, you were moving at quite the speed, but only for about a second, and you rapidly decreased your velocity over that second, so you couldn't have traveled that far." He expanded the map to show the whole city. "Based on a few projections I've run, you had to have come from a breach somewhere within about a mile radius of S.T.A.R. Labs. That puts your breach within this geographical region." A red circle was drawn on the screen. "Now, as you can see, there are quite a few within range, but curiously, all of them are within parking lots or other off-road structures, none on busy city streets, like you told us."

Barry gave him a look. "So…what does that mean?"

Stein smiled. "It means that we've been looking at this all wrong." He tapped a few keys on a nearby computer. "You see, I based my original search off a scan we ran of the city _weeks_ ago. After I learned the locations of all the breaches within that radius, I had a hunch and ran the scans again." He straightened up and nodded at the screen. "This is the original map of all fifty-two breaches in Central City." Stein hit the "enter" key on the computer. "This is the one we took just half an hour ago."

Barry stared at the screen as his lips parted slightly. "Is that—"

"A fifty-third breach, Mr. Allen."

A smile slowly spread over his features as he turned toward the professor.

Stein smiled back. "And your ticket home."

"I—" he looked back at the screen, "—Professor, I don't know what to say." He turned back and laughed once. "Thank you!"

He nodded. "It's my pleasure."

Several panicked shouts came from the Cortex, prompting them both to sprint over and stare in horror at a traffic cam feed showing the Flash stuck beneath a half-dozen collapsed I-beams.

"Guys," Barry-One hissed out, "I'm in trouble. Amunet dropped a building on me, pinned me. I can't move!"

Caitlin's breathing rate increased. "C-Can you vibrate your molecules, phase through like with the Trickster's bomb?"

Barry-Two waved at her in agreement.

"I already tried that. Felt like my spine was shearing in half before I could get up to speed. And she's looking for me right now. Just a matter of time before I'm found. I need help."

Cisco turned to Stein. "Professor—"

The gray-haired man's head shook. "Jackson is visiting his mother on the other side of town. He'll never make it in time!"

They all looked back to the screen, minds running until another voice spoke.

"Then there's no other choice."

The members of Team Flash immediately whirled toward Barry-Two, whose arms were crossed and stance was set.

"Barry," Caitlin protested, "you can't. If Zoom finds out—"

"Yeah, he'll come and try to destroy my world, I know!" He waved at the screen. "But if I do nothing, and Black kills _your_ Flash, then he wins anyway!"

No one had a comeback for that.

The Flash of Earth-Korra sped off to don his suit, then returned to the Cortex a moment later.

Cisco straightened up and snatched a backup earpiece, handing it to him. "If you're gonna do this, you'll need one of these."

Flash took one of the lightning bolts from his mask and replaced it with the proffered tech. "Where are they?"

"About six-point-five miles due east of here," Wells answered, giving him a cautious once-over. "Something of a straight shot."

Barry-Two pulled his cowl over his features, jaw tightening. "Good."

"Why's that?" Joe asked from the side.

The Flash headed for the door. "Because now I know _exactly_ how to deal with her."

He was gone in the next second.

…

Joe sent a confused look Cisco's way before they all gathered around the central computer, watching as a new tracker showed the other Barry's rapid movement—and acceleration—toward their Flash.

"What's he doing?" Joe asked with furrowed brows.

Cisco's eyes narrowed at the screen for a moment before they and his mouth widened in excitement. "Oooh, he's gonna do it!"

Wells shot him a look. "Do what?"

The Latino pumped his fist in the air. "Supersonic punch baby!"

…

The Flash ran past cars, past one block after the next, glass shattering in his wake as he got up to speed, the smoking construction site within sight in seconds. Thunder cracked somewhere behind him as the sun painted a figurative crosshair on the shining body of his target, Black standing just eight feet from the pinned Flash. His right fist cocked back as she turned her head in his direction, his legs leaving the ground as he leapt through the last twenty feet. Amunet turned away at the last second, but his fist still made impact and sent her flying twenty feet into a vertical girder.

Barry-Two yelled as he rolled to a stop, grasping his right arm in his left hand and keeping it as still as possible. "Ugh…I almost forgot how much that hurts." His brows furrowed as he looked down at his right hand, noting that it wasn't as deformed as his first attempt. "Though not as much as last time." He picked up movement in his peripheral vision and shot to his feet when he saw Amunet rise to hers.

"That's because it was a glancing shot," she replied, snarling at him. The skin of her right cheek was exposed, the metal around it torn at a seam, but the gap was quickly closed once more, encasing her in a steel shell. Amunet glanced between the standing Flash and his prone counterpart with confusion. "So…looks like you jackasses are multiplying." She smiled crookedly, cracking her neck. "So much the better. Zoom offered me a _bounty_ for the head of the Flash." Her smile turned into a metallic grin. "Looks like I'll get to collect _double_."

Barry-Two snarled at her and shook his head. "I wouldn't count on it."

He sped toward the tangle of beams holding his older counterpart down, but was diverted when the crane above sent its wrecking ball swinging through his path. He curved and arced around, directly toward Amunet, who took a swing at him once he was in range. It missed, of course, but on his way up from a slide, her other hand snatched the back of his collar and hauled him off the ground. Her left hand curled around his neck when she spun clockwise and started to squeeze, her grip not budging an inch despite his efforts.

"Barry," sounded Caitlin's voice in his ear. "Barry, get out of there!"

He wheezed several times, trying to get a breath as black spots swam in his vision. Looking down at Amunet's smug grin, he snarled and began vibrating his left arm at massive speeds.

…

S.T.A.R. Labs

What happened next sent the jaws of everyone in the Cortex—save Dr. Wells—dropping to the floor. Amunet stared at Barry-Two with the same expression on her face—though fear was also present, if the picture's grainy qualities weren't distorting things. The other Flash currently had his vibrating left hand _inside_ the arm holding his neck, a snarl on his face as he finally took a breath.

"If you ever…want to use this arm again…let me go."

Stunned and fearful, Black did just that, the Flash dropping to the ground an instant later and speeding behind her to kick her face-down.

Cisco looked around at his colleagues with his jaw still on the floor. "Did—tell me you guys saw that too."

They all nodded slowly, turning back to the feed with bated breath.

…

Barry-Two reached his older counterpart a second later, taking a look at his predicament and thanking whatever powers there were that he hadn't been two feet to the left when those beams fell.

"All right…you're gonna be okay." Flash-Two glanced behind him to see Amunet struggling to her feet. "Just hang on."

Flash-One gave him a wary look as his younger self put two hands on his shoulders. "You sure you know what you're doing?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I've done this before…once."

Barry-One lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head sideways as both their bodies began to vibrate. Lightning danced off Flash-Two's form for a moment before he pulled hard, the beams groaning and collapsing further now that Flash-One was no longer beneath them. They both took a few heavy breaths, exchanging a look.

"You okay?" Two asked.

One glanced behind him and widened his eyes in fear. Barry-Two grabbed him and dashed sideways out of the way of a flying I-beam, running him down two blocks to stop in an alley.

Barry-One gave him a look, glancing back at the construction site. "What are you doing?"

Two shrugged. "You're in bad shape, Flash. You need to get help. Get healed."

His hands went out to his sides. "Are you kidding me? This is my city, and she's my responsibility."

Barry-Two grabbed him by the shoulders, the other man hissing in pain at the contact. "Don't you see? You already said that your spine felt like it was breaking when you tried to free yourself. What if there was a residual structural instability from what Zoom did to you? If you go out there and Amunet hits you just the right—or wrong—way, you could be paralyzed all over again. This world can't be without the Flash." His jaw tightened. "I got this. Trust me."

Barry-One looked him over for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. "Stay safe, Flash. And watch her closely, but not too closely. She is a _master_ at using her environment, and she _will_ fight dirty to beat you."

The other Flash smirked and took a step back. "Good thing we've got _that_ in common, then."

They both sped off in separate directions a second later.

…

S.T.A.R. Labs

Joe and Caitlin whirled toward the door the moment they felt a gust of wind, rushing over to a grimacing Barry to help him into a chair.

"You all right, Bear?" Joe asked worriedly.

He smiled up at him and pulled his cowl back. "Yeah, Joe. I'm okay. Just—" he hissed in pain, "—just a little messed up."

"I'll take a look," Caitlin said as she rushed off to get her equipment.

The rest turned their attention to the monitors and watched as the other Flash skidded to a stop some twenty feet from Black.

…

Amunet chuckled as they started pacing around each other. "Zoom said the Flash of this world was a coward." She came to a stop, grinning. "Are you?"

Barry smirked malevolently. "Why don't you come over here and find out?" he asked, waving her forward.

The metahuman assassin obliged with a gleeful grin, charging straight-on and missing him by inches when he dodged to the side a split-second before impact, stretching out one leg to trip her. Snarling and growling up at him, she glanced behind him for a moment.

"Barry, look out!" Cisco yelled in his ear.

The Flash whirled around to spot the wrecking ball and dodge around it just in time, seeing Amunet come back for more a second later. Several punches were swung and dodged, half of Barry's mind on his surroundings while the rest was focused on avoiding her blows. He circled around to her back, narrowly ducking a spinning backhand and feeling his body lift off the ground when he double-palmed a knee strike that sent him flying backward. His body hit the ground with a thud, arms pushing him upright to see Amunet hefting another I-beam and swinging it downward.

The beam impacted the gravel floor of the lot they were fighting in, its metal frame swung horizontally in Flash's direction as he sped just out of its reach. Amunet growled and tore the girder in two, throwing one piece at the Flash. He dodged to his left, seeing too late the second one heading for his position. He managed to turn his body sideways, but he was still clipped pretty badly and sent tumbling to the ground. She pounced with a feral roar, sending both her fists into the ground where the Flash's head was a second earlier, the shockwave of her impact throwing off his running pattern.

He managed to maintain his footing, though, and sped toward her back, a metal pole in hand, as he swung hard. The steel broke neatly in half as he smacked it across the back of her head, but Amunet yelped in pain, holding the injured appendage. It did little more than piss her off, though, and before he knew it, she was coming at him again. He snatched up the other end of the broken pole and came at her from all angles, effectively using the steel pipes as kali sticks as he targeted her joints, pressure points, anything that might be vulnerable. She roared and raged as she swiped at him every time he moved, their battle staying within a six-foot radius as he assaulted her from every side.

"Guys!" Barry shouted. "This isn't working!"

His earpiece clicked on. "Listen to me, Barry," came his counterpart's voice. "Amunet is smart, strong, and extremely durable. She's more tactical than Girder ever was, and she _will_ find a way to outsmart you if you give her the time."

"So—" Two strikes to her abdomen. "—what do you—" A duck under another backhand and blows to either shoulder. "—suggest?"

A moment of silence passed. "Lightning. You need to use lightning."

The Flash swung both pipes in the same direction hard, but Amunet spun opposite his strike and held both arms up as guards. The makeshift weapons shattered on impact, and she lunged forward to plant a solid thrust-kick on his midsection, sending him flying back twenty feet. Several choppy, labored breaths left his lungs as he tried to get back up, but Amunet pinned him to the ground when she landed on him foot-first, cracking more than a few ribs for sure and sending agony lancing through his chest.

"Barry, get out of there!"

"Can't…move," he wheezed.

"See, this?" Amunet asked tauntingly. "This is where all you heroes belong." She snarled and leaned on him more, slowly crushing his rib cage. "Under my heel."

Her fist cocked back and swung in a top-down punch aimed at his head. Thinking fast, Flash caught the appendage and redirected it into the ground next to his head, then pulled harder, using her own momentum to throw her to the ground. Flash managed to regain his footing and run out of sight, leaning heavily against a nearby building as he tried to catch his breath, each one wheezing into his lungs. He put a finger to his ear.

"How—" cough, "—how the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"Listen," the other Barry said gravely, "and listen carefully. Chances are, you'll only get one shot at this."

Barry-Two's jaw tightened as he nodded slowly, vibrating his hands over his chest and feeling his ribs start to move back into place rather painfully. "I'm all ears," he groaned.

…

1 minute later

Amunet stalked toward a nearby news crew with malevolent intent, the civilians manning the cameras shrieking and starting to run. To their surprise, the news van they intended to flee in started moving—in the opposite direction they wanted it to go. It kept driving forward—toward her—until she laid her right palm on its hood. Her other hand grabbed the bottom of its front bumper, lifting it off the ground and above her head in seconds. A gust of wind sounded from behind, and she turned her head to see the Flash return.

"Put 'em down!"

Amunet smirked. "You should know by now that doesn't work on me. See, these people are just collateral damage. Casualties of war." Her head cocked. "If you surrender now, I might let them live."

His head shook. "Not gonna happen. I don't negotiate with terrorists."

She shrugged disappointedly. "Shame." With a grunt, she hefted the van higher and chucked it thirty feet away, snatching up a nearby pole when the Flash took off after it and javelin-throwing it directly into his path.

…

Barry saw the pole coming and smirked confidently as he turned his body and reached out, snatching the pole from the air. As he ran, he used it as a vaulting tool, sending him high enough to open the rear door of the van and streak in. The two cameramen were tossed out the back, the third and last passenger, a woman, taken in his arms and carried out in the space of a split-second. The van erupted in flames some fifteen feet away from where he and the others landed, and the Flash let the woman down a moment later.

"Get to safety," he ordered, glaring daggers at Black.

The supervillain just smiled and waved him forward arrogantly.

Flash's right hand balled into a fist as lightning danced in his eyes. He took off an instant later, heading straight for her, then streaking around a wild haymaker and circling around her at a massive speed. A few times during his run, she made for the perimeter and swung at him several times, but he just readjusted the center of his circle and ran ever faster. Little by little, the vacuum he created kept sucking the air from Amunet's environment, and about twenty seconds in, she started to notice. Gasping and nearly collapsing to her knees, she scowled and roared in rage, then brought her fists down with all her might and gravity on her side.

The resulting shockwave blew the Flash off his feet, his body still trailing massive amounts of energy as he flew through the air. Time slowed to a crawl as he curled his right hand into a rough "C" shape, reaching back and setting his focus on the metal-infused woman rising from her knees. Feeling electricity course through every vein in his body, the Flash snarled and swung his right arm with a yell, letting his fingers uncurl just as they pointed in Black's direction. A single massive bolt of golden lightning flew from his hand, striking Amunet dead center and sending her flying off her feet.

She hit the ground back-first, hard, her metal skin glowing with heat and energy as she struggled for breath. It receded moments later, in choppy sections, no longer nearly as organic as it had appeared initially. Barry also struggled to regain his footing, his broken ribs protesting as he rose from the ground. Before either of them could do anything else, a red blur slammed into Black from behind, bowling her over and causing her to skid to a stop at the Flash's feet. Hand over his injured chest, Barry-Two looked up to see the other Flash standing on Amunet's other side, smiling over at him.

Barry-Two lifted an eyebrow and shrugged in approval. "Nice shot, Flash."

Barry-One grinned and inspected Amunet with a similar air. "You too…Flash."

…

5 minutes later

S.T.A.R. Labs

Both Flashes strode into the Cortex with giant grins on their faces, the whole team there to congratulate them. A few minutes later, the excitement died down somewhat.

Joe moved toward the younger Flash with a smile. "You know, I've…never really been all that comfortable with this whole 'multiverse' thing, but…it's nice to know that no matter what world he's on…" he held out his hand, "Barry Allen's a hero."

Barry-Two grinned and shook his hand. "Thanks." He glanced over the rest of the team. "I take it Professor Stein filled you in?"

"Yep," Cisco replied, "just need to set up our speed cannon at the new breach. Should be done by early morning tomorrow."

He nodded. "Thanks, Cisco." A smirk made its way to his face. "Nice to know you're dependable wherever I go."

He grinned and moved off toward one of the work rooms.

"So," Barry-One said suddenly.

Barry-Two turned to face him. "So…what?"

One exchanged a look with Wells. "It's kinda funny how similar we are, considering we come from different worlds."

"Yeah, I noticed," Joe piped in. "I mean…the Wells of _our_ Earth turned out to be a sociopathic speedster, but you…"

Iris crossed her arms and gave him a curious look. "You're almost exactly the same as our Barry."

"Yeah," Cisco interrupted with a grin, "if our Barry were trained by Caden."

Barry-Two furrowed his brows and gave his doppelganger a look. "Caden?"

Caitlin smiled with a wince and shrugged. "It's a long story."

"Speaking of which," Barry-One said, "we should probably exchange notes."

Two's brows furrowed. "Why's that?"

"Well, I know abilities you don't, and you know how to fight a _lot_ better than I do, a fact I'm willing to admit." His jaw tightened. "If— _when_ I face Zoom again, I need a way to level the playing field, and it's not just gonna be by getting faster. I need to learn to fight _smarter_ , and I get the feeling you can teach me that."

He shrugged. "Maybe, but…not in a night, and I _need_ to get back."

"Because of your promise?" Wells asked with crossed arms and a disdainful air. "Tell me, Mr. Allen, exactly what _was_ this…vow of yours?"

Barry-Two snarled at him for a brief moment before looking down and away. "I mean…it wasn't a vow per se, but…" He frowned, then looked up at Barry-One. "Tell me something. When you tell a woman that you love her…does that count as a promise?"

The room fell silent, a few audible breaths exhaled as a smile spread over Iris' features.

"Of course it does," she answered finally, laying a hand on his arm.

He shrugged. "Then there's your answer."

Wells, much to his surprise, just sighed and nodded slowly, then walked off.

"So," Barry-One said after a while, "I realize that we don't have a lot of time, but…would you at least be willing to teach me some of what you know? I'd really appreciate it."

Two shrugged and nodded emphatically with a smirk. "Long as you don't keep me out too late."

One chuckled and nodded, then headed off for the elevator. "Deal."

…

12 hours later

Central City

"I managed to get this section of the road blocked off long enough to set up, but we only have a few more minutes, so let's get this done quick."

Barry-Two nodded as he strode toward the speed cannon, watching the rippling air with a fascinated expression. Barry-One sidled up alongside him and gave him a glance.

"So," the older Barry said, "now that Amunet knows there's another speedster in play, we'll do our best to keep it as quiet as possible, but there's no guarantee Zoom won't discover the existence of this other breach." He looked over at Barry-Two. "Are you ready to face down our flavor of metahumans if the time comes?"

Two looked back at him. "Don't really have a choice, now do I?"

He gave him a wan smile, turning back to the breach. "No…I guess not."

"All right," Cisco said as he approached them from the front. "Everything's set. But," he added, holding up his hands, "there's something I want you to see before anything." He grinned as the Flashes exchanged looks, then whipped out a familiar golden object from his jacket pocket.

Barry-One took it with furrowed eyebrows, inspecting it closely as his eyes widened. "Cisco, is this—"

"A repurposed micro-tech Flash ring?" He grinned. "Yep."

"Wait." Barry-Two pointed at the ring, which One put on his right middle finger. "You're saying you managed to fit the Flash suit…into that?"

"With Harry's help," Cisco replied, waving at Doctor Wells, "yeah." He grinned again. "And don't worry." He reached into his jacket again. "I made one for you too."

Barry-Two stared at the second ring, mouth agape, and took it with a shuddering breath, placing it on his finger as well. "So, how does this work?"

"It's simple," Cisco answered, taking his Barry aside. "You touch the lightning symbol with your other hand, then point it outward, and the suit—"

A red-and-gold suit sprung from Barry-One's ring.

"—comes right out, ready to be worn."

Barry-One snatched it up before it hit the ground, holding the empty fabric in his hands, then turning to Cisco. "And how do you get it back in?"

Cisco held up a finger, then walked over to him. "You mate the emblems." He placed Barry's ring against the lightning symbol on the suit's chest, and it immediately shrunk down and re-entered the ring.

A series of excited laughs came from all present at the show, the rest of Team Flash approaching the two speedsters.

Cisco handed Barry-Two a small envelope. "Here," he said. "I drew up some plans for your Cisco in case the ring ever breaks or your suit gets destroyed. It should still be possible to make, even in your world."

"Indeed," Professor Stein added. "Despite the complexity of the tech, the designs are actually quite…elegant in their simplicity."

Barry-Two pocketed the envelope and hefted his ring with a smile. "Thank you. I…really appreciate everything you've done for me." He looked over at an absently frowning Wells. "Even you, Dr. Wells."

He just grunted and shook his head. "Let's get on with it."

The Flashes exchanged a look and shrug, shaking their heads as they all gained some distance from the speed cannon.

"Now," Stein said, "once you run through, the breach on your world will open for only a brief moment, and should be only a one-way trip. In the event it is not…you may have to come back through for us to figure out a way to close it."

Barry-Two smiled and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." He looked down at his ring, then up at the breach, which opened into a wide glowing portal as soon as Cisco turned the cannon on. "Time to see if this thing works."

"Hey Barry," One called from behind him.

He turned and lifted his eyebrows.

"You're always welcome here."

Barry-Two smiled and nodded once, then turned back to the portal and took a deep breath. "Home."

His left index pressed briefly against the ring's symbol, the jewel held out toward the portal and spitting out his new suit a second later. He immediately sped toward it, snatching it from the air and donning it in a split-second, barely an instant before the portal's glow engulfed him, and he was rocketed back to his world.

…

Present

White Lotus Compound, South Pole

2 years after the fall of the Red Lotus

The scrape of metal against ceramic sounded through the otherwise silent dining room as Barry finished the last of his meal. As he chewed and gulped, his audience chewed over everything he'd just told them. Eventually, he sighed and looked up.

"So…crazy, huh?"

Tonraq shrugged and nodded slowly. "Absolutely." He looked up at Barry. "But by all indications absolutely plausible."

Barry looked back down at his empty plate. "Somewhere…between our worlds, something must've gone wrong. Or…maybe it was when I jumped through in the first place, but…somehow, time got screwed up, and I missed a year." He looked up at Tonraq. "That's why I was gone for so long. And that's what she never gave me a chance to explain."

Korra's father nodded slowly, sighing.

"Barry," Senna said from his side, "you have to understand. When you disappeared, Korra didn't return home immediately."

He gave her a sideways look.

"She stayed in Republic City. Waited for you to return, for _weeks_. Wouldn't talk to anyone, never slept, _barely_ ate." Senna frowned. "When you ran into that portal, a part of her left with you."

Barry's eyes stung as he looked away.

"She's spent the last year trying to get it back," Katara added. "And it's been hard. Harder than any of us ever thought possible. Paralysis aside, I don't even think she was in such bad shape after she was attacked two years ago. And having you come back…it's a reminder of all the pain she'd spent so long trying to forget."

"Barry," Tonraq said after another pause, "Korra needs time. Time to accept that you're back and here to stay."

Barry remained silent as tears spilled from his eyes, expression dead. "Do you…think she'll ever forgive me?"

Silence reigned over the room for a while.

"I don't know," Tonraq finally answered. "She'll be the first to admit that vindictiveness is in her nature, and whether you intended it or not, you broke her heart. If she _does_ come around…I don't know that you'll ever be what you were before."

Something broke inside Barry at the end of that sentence, and a shuddering breath left his lungs as his eyes shut tightly. He nodded after a few seconds, clearing his throat with a gulp. "I understand." With a long inhale, he rose from his seat and shook himself off. "I should go." He glanced at each of them, settling on Senna with a smile. "Thank you for dinner."

She smiled back kindly and nodded, rising from her seat. "Whatever Korra's feelings on the matter, you are welcome in our house anytime."

Katara gave him a brief parting embrace, and as he headed for the door, Tonraq came up alongside him and shook his hand, expression grim.

"Barry, there's something I need to tell you…something you deserve to know."

He gave him a look. "I'm listening."

Tonraq's lips pursed. "It's about the Reverse-Flash."

Barry's features shifted.

"After you vanished, President Raiko decided that even paralyzed, he represented too much of a threat to be kept within Republic City's prisons, and since cold is the opposite of speed…we agreed to take him."

He blinked. "The Southern Water Tribe…you have him?"

Tonraq nodded slowly. "Thawne is imprisoned about twenty miles south of here, in the depths of an ice-encased mountain watched round-the-clock by the White Lotus." He paused for a moment, exchanging a look with Senna. "I thought you'd want to know."

Barry's jaw tightened for a moment before he nodded. "You were right. Thank you." He pulled his cowl over his features, the ring on his right hand glinting in the light from one of the dining room's sconces. "Goodbye."

The Flash sped from the compound a moment later, streaking out the window and into the cold night air. He moved so fast, he never noticed the blue-clad figure crouched against the doorway that had been listening to every word.

…

5 minutes later

Two White Lotus guards stared at an incoming snowdrift with curiosity at its unnatural movement. Suddenly on alert, they relaxed once they saw the golden lightning trail and felt a gust of wind pass between them. A red blur streaked through one level after the next until it reached the bottom, hands balled into fists. The Flash strode toward a glass cell in the far corner of the icy cavern, a heaviness to his steps and a scowl on his face. The cell's single occupant placed a bishop down on a glass chessboard, looking up through half-lidded eyes at his approach, then leaning back in his seat. A chuckle came from his throat as his chair's wheels turned, bringing him to the wall of the cell closest to the newly arrived speedster.

"Well, if I didn't know just how tenacious you can be, I might not believe my eyes, but…" he shrugged, "here you are." Eobard Thawne smiled. "Welcome back, Mr. Allen."

His smile widened as Barry pulled back his cowl, a fierce scowl plastered to his features.

Thawne's blue eyes narrowed slightly. "We have a lot to discuss."

* * *

AN: Sorry for the wait on this chapter. Spending Thanksgiving with the fam doesn't leave a lot of time for writing, but I finally got a nice chunk and knocked this one out.

I hope you guys enjoyed this crossover of the crossover, and are looking forward to what comes next. Though it wasn't terribly big or important, I wanted a way to introduce Flash's new powers from season 2 and the Flash ring without having to do separate massive arcs to explain each of them. For any of you who are fans of _Assassins and Queens_ , you may have noticed the little nod to my main character in that story. Yes, the Earth Barry crossed over into is based off of that story, but it was just a fun little mention that I thought would be cool, self-plugs aside.

Anyway, more to come soon, I hope. Please review and comment as you see fit.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	35. Identity

Identity (n.): the fact of being or what a person or thing is.

South Pole

2 years after the fall of the Red Lotus

The two speedsters stared at each other for a few seconds, Thawne leaning forward in his wheelchair, fingers steepled.

"Seems like just yesterday that we were in this exact same position," Thawne remarked.

Barry's jaw tightened.

"Of course," he chuckled, "for you, it probably _was_ just yesterday. Given that fact, you could be out there, living your life. So tell me, why are you here?"

Barry's eyes narrowed dangerously, nostrils flaring. "You knew, didn't you?"

Thawne looked off to the side, cocking his head slightly. "Knew what? That you'd run into that portal to save this world or come out on the other side a year later?"

His silence was all the answer he needed.

"To be honest, I was hoping you would run in just fast enough to stabilize it, but not quite enough to…" he waved forward, "punch through. Bug on a windshield, if you will."

Barry gave him a deadpan look.

He shrugged. "But, since that did not happen, I expected you to be off somewhere celebrating, so imagine my surprise when you walk into my…humble abode." He motioned to his icy surroundings, thinking for a moment, then lifting a finger in Barry's direction. "But…something went wrong, didn't it? Something changed that you can't stand, otherwise you'd be here gloating, not scowling." Thawne leaned forward in his chair. "So tell me…what happened?" After a few moments of silence, his eyes widened slightly in realization. "Ah…of course. The only thing that could get you to go haywire: her."

Thawne sighed disappointedly. "I _did_ tell you that things wouldn't work out between you, though not, I think, for the reasons that ended up being the case."

"You did this," Barry snarled. "You pulled us apart."

"Hmm…well, technically, _she's_ rejected you, so, I'd be careful where you swing that blame around."

Barry approached the glass and placed his fist against it. "If you'd never opened that portal, I never would've left her."

Thawne shrugged. "True, but then…you decided when to come out."

"No, I didn't. Because I didn't come out here at all."

Thawne gave him a confused look.

"I hopped worlds, thanks to you, was separated by a bit more than time."

A gleeful grin spread over the paralytic's face. "Are you kidding me? You mean I actually cracked it?!" A series of laughs erupted from his throat. "This is the most exciting news I've had in _months_!"

Barry crossed his arms. "Glad you're pleased."

He shrugged. "Well, since I can no longer get up to the speed necessary to propel myself through such a breach, it's kind of pointless, but…still satisfying to know that I bridged a gap twenty of the greatest scientists of my time never could." He clapped with a grin. "Chalk one more achievement up to the Thawne legacy."

Barry snarled. "Whether you knew I'd hop Earths or not, you created that portal, forced me to run through." He pointed an accusing finger at Thawne. " _You_ separated us."

"Although that would've been my preferable means of revenge for…all this," he motioned to his inoperable legs, "I actually hadn't thought that far ahead." Thawne smirked and looked up at him. "No, the truth is, whether by design or sheer carelessness, _you_ decided when you would return. Deep down, you know that, so really…" He leaned forward in his chair, eyes narrowed malevolently. "Who are you angry with? Me…or you?"

Barry just stared at him silently, jaw tightening as he slowly turned away. He was gone in the next second.

…

1 hour later

Sato Estate, Republic City

The mansion had changed little since he'd last been there, apart from increased security around each entrance. None of them even saw him coming when he ran past and into the main residence. The moment he reached the upper floor, he pulled back his hood and started walking, slowly, toward the master bedroom. When he entered the doorway, he stopped and leaned against the doorframe heavily. A raven head of hair whirled in his direction, and her jaw dropped as she rose to her feet, nightclothes disheveled. Several heavy breaths were exhaled as she approached him, eyes filled with tears.

"Barry…"

Her body crashed into his, face pressing into his chest and arms around his body. Slowly, his arms reached to wrap around her and hold her closer, nose inhaling the scent of her recently shampooed hair with a flood of memories washing in.

"You're home," she whispered, pressing herself against him. "You're home."

He took a shuddering breath, liquid spilling from his eyes as they closed. "Not soon enough," he whispered back.

Asami's arms tightened around him. "Good enough for me." She released him after another couple of seconds, her hands still holding his arms as she smiled up at him. "Lin called a few hours ago. Woke me up, but after she told me…I couldn't go back to sleep." She embraced him again, grip tight like she never wanted to let go. "I missed you."

He smiled a little. "I missed you too." They drew apart again.

"Barry, you need to tell me everything. Every last detail."

"Thought you were tired," he chuckled.

She grinned and pulled him into the room, both of them sitting on her bed. "Not anymore. So go ahead, I'm all ears."

A full hour passed as he explained everything that had happened since he'd jumped through the portal, her expression growing grimmer and grimmer by the second. As he finished explaining his brief conversation with Thawne, she looked away and frowned, eventually turning back to him.

"So…she's keeping you at arm's length now."

His arms crossed. "I'd say it's a bit more than arm's length, 'Sami. And I can't…I just can't rectify how we were before with how we are now. I mean, I saw her for barely twenty seconds, and she made it abundantly clear where we stand."

Asami frowned at him. "No, I don't think she did." She sighed at his confused expression and strode over to her nighttable, reaching into the top drawer to take out a worn envelope. She handed it to him with a nod.

Barry reached inside and widened his eyes upon seeing Korra's handwriting, reading every line with laser focus. When he was done, he looked at Asami and held the letter up. "All this time…she hasn't seen any of you?"

Asami's head shook. "There's too much pain here for her, too many memories. She hasn't been able to face any of it since you left." Her thumb stroked his shoulder. "Just give her time."

He nodded slowly, folding up the letter and returning it to its envelope. "'Sami…do you mind if I stay here tonight?"

She sighed and held him close. "Bear…this is your home as much as mine. Of course you're welcome here."

His eyes closed as he tucked his head into the crook of her neck. "Thank you."

…

Next day

White Lotus Compound, South Pole

Korra absently pushed food across her plate, mind running in a thousand different directions, though her eyes were dead.

"Everything all right, sweetie?" Senna asked suddenly, snapping her from her thoughts.

She looked up at her mother, eyes and expression sharpening. "There's something I need to tell you both."

"What is it?" Tonraq asked, perking up.

"I want to go back to Republic City."

"Are you sure?" Senna asked concernedly.

Korra frowned. "I know I'm not one-hundred percent yet, but I feel like I've hit a wall." She looked away briefly. "I need to be where the action is. Where my friends are," she added, smiling slightly.

The parents exchanged a brief look before smiling a little.

Tonraq turned to her. "I'll have the White Lotus prepare a boat, and they can take you back to Republic City as soon as you're ready."

Her lips pursed. "No," she replied, standing slowly. "I want to go alone…have some time to clear my head. It'll be good for me," she added hesitantly, looking off to the side.

Tonraq exchanged a look with his wife, then nodded slowly. "Whatever you need, sweetheart."

She gave her parents a smile. "I'll go pack."

Five minutes later, she was in her room, filling a large bag with the essentials. A familiar figure entered from behind, and she glanced back for a brief moment before returning to her packing.

"Everything okay, Mom?"

"Fine, sweetie. It's just…"

Korra turned toward her, brows furrowed. "What?"

Senna sighed hard and looked back to her daughter. "I found this in the healing chamber some time ago, discarded." She held up a chain-linked locket in the shape of a lightning bolt. "I wasn't sure if you wanted it back."

Korra frowned and looked away. "It's not mine to begin with."

"I know, honey." Senna put an arm around her shoulders. "But avoiding anything to do with him isn't going to help you heal. Only facing those memories will." She held the locket in front of her. "At the very least, keep it so you can give it back to him once you reach the city."

She glanced at her mother, then returned her gaze to the bolt and frowned. "Fine." She snatched the locket and stuffed it into a pocket of her bag, zipping it up once she was finished.

As she walked out to attend to other preparations, Senna stayed behind and looked around her room with a critical eye, her gaze eventually alighting on a downturned photo frame. Glancing around to make sure no one else was there, she lifted it back up, showing a picture of her daughter, laughing and leaning against a similarly gleeful Barry Allen, the Yue Bay lighthouse and setting sun in the background. A smile pulled at her lips as she slowly laid it back down, turning into a frown as she looked toward the packed bag. Her lips pursed as she strode from the room, heading elsewhere as she made a decision.

…

Sato Estate, Republic City

Barry's countenance had perked up some since the night he'd returned, but he still had an air of glumness about him as he worked his way through breakfast. Asami didn't know what to do. The younger man—made even younger by the fact that he skipped a year—was heartbroken, and rightly so. She couldn't fix it, and not even a visit to his dad in the Fire Nation had cheered him up much. A plan had begun to form over the last twenty-four hours, to get him to open up and get out more, try and take his mind off things, but as of that moment, he had yet to hear half the words that came from her mouth.

"Barry," she tried again, "what do you think about going to see a pro-bending game tonight?"

He blinked and looked up at her.

"You know," she added with a shrug, "just the two of us." She added a smile for effect. "What do you think?"

A few slow blinks were made before he nodded slowly and smiled a little. "Sure. I mean…" he grinned, "it's not quite as fun as stopping armed thieves or taking down metas, but I'm sure we can make it a thing."

Asami arched an eyebrow and smirked. "A thing?"

He threw his hands up. "Sorry if I'm not terribly articulate," he chuckled. "I'm working on an empty stomach."

"Then eat!" she laughed, swiping at his plate with her fork. "Before I do!"

He mock-glared at her and yanked the plate away, jealously guarding his breakfast as it all disappeared into his gullet within seconds. They broke into laughter a moment after he let out a massive burp, the older woman rising from her chair to embrace him tightly.

"I've missed you," she said quietly.

"Yeah," he answered with a smile. "I kinda got that feeling." His smile faded after a few seconds. "Look…Asami, I barely got a glimpse of how badly Korra took my disappearance, but…you…" He frowned. "What happened to you after I was gone?"

Her face became stony as she looked away and started pacing. "I…I don't know, really. One day blended into the next, and…" she shrugged, "I guess I kind of buried myself in my work." She waved toward the windows. "Future Industries is bigger than ever, with the partnerships we have with Merlyn Global and Varrick Global. We've been churning out new cars, new amenities." She waved to him. "I even used some of the Reverse-Flash's tech to make improved communication devices. He may be psycho, but he's also a brilliant scientist. From his notes alone, once I decoded them all, I managed to decipher schematics for tech that put us on the map again."

"But otherwise, you've been alone. No friends, no family?"

Asami's lips pursed as she shrugged. "After I got to work…I never had time for anything else. For _anyone_ else. Caitlin and Ronnie got married, Cisco got loaned out to Merlyn Global." Another shrug. "The world moved on, and I had to move with it." She frowned, coming to a stop facing away from him. "He never believed you were dead, you know."

Barry's head cocked. "Who?"

She turned to him. "Cisco. Kept saying over and over that you were still alive, that he could _feel_ it. His certainty was part of what gave Korra and your dad hope that you were still out there." Tears welled in her eyes. "But I gave up…" Her shoulders shook. "Barry, I gave up on you."

Barry shot to his feet as sobs started to wrack her frame.

"Barely a week after you were gone, I stopped believing. I'm sorry," she cried rapidly, tears falling freely.

"'Sami—"

"I gave up, Bear! I let you go…the family you chose, someone who was supposed to love you, believe in you, and I gave up."

He put his hands on her arms, steadying her. "Listen to me, Asami." His right hand tilted her chin and eyes up toward him. "Listen. I wasn't gone. I was dead. You had _zero_ reason to believe I was still alive. With everything Thawne had done, everything he'd destroyed, it was a perfectly logical move to think that he'd arranged for me to die in that wormhole." His head shook. "You can't blame yourself. And you can't change the past. All you—all _any_ of us—can do is keep moving forward, you understand?" He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Asami, do you understand?"

She nodded choppily.

"I need to hear you say it."

She gulped and cleared her throat. "I understand."

He smiled down at her and tucked her head against his shoulder. "Shh…everything's gonna be all right."

Asami took a deep breath, getting out the roughness before speaking. "How can you say that with everything you're feeling? All the pain you're going through?" She looked up at him. "How can you still believe that?"

Barry's lips pursed as he stared off into the distance, toward the waterfront. "Because I have to."

They stood there for a few minutes, silently embracing, when the phone went off.

He released her and popped a smile. "I'll get it."

"Okay."

Barry zipped over to the phone and pulled it off its cradle, putting it to his ear. "Hello?" His features shifted subtly. "Yeah, it's me. What do you mean?"

Asami cast him a curious look.

He frowned. "You want me to make sure?" He nodded. "Uh-huh. I understand. I will, I promise. Bye." Barry set the phone back down, a worried frown on his face.

"What was that all about?"

Barry glanced up at Asami, then looked away, mind rushing. "I don't know for sure. Could be nothing." His features hardened as he went for his jacket. "Could be everything."

"Barry, where are you going?"

"Out," he replied as he headed for the door. He stopped halfway there, smiling back at her sadly. "Sorry, but I don't think I'm gonna be able to make tonight."

Asami looked him over with concern. "Are you okay?"

His lips pursed. "No, but I will be…I hope. There's something I need to do, and it might take a while. I'll probably be in and out a lot over the next couple of days, okay?"

"All right, but…Barry, can you tell me what's going on?"

His head shook. "Sorry. It's kind of a favor, and I don't want to violate this person's confidence."

Asami smiled a little and nodded. "I understand. Just, please be careful." She bit her lower lip. "I'm not losing you again."

Barry gave her a cocky grin. "'Course not. No way I'm leaving my big sis all alone." He opened the door and stepped through. "See ya later."

The door shut loudly, leaving her alone in silence.

"See you, Bear."

…

11 days later

Korra's boat coasted up to the landing of a small fishing village some distance from Republic City, allowing her to tie it down and step off without incident. Striding up to a nearby stall, she ordered a pair of lobster crabs, freezing for a moment, but smiling when the proprietor of the stall recognized her. An old camera was retrieved from the back of his stall as she posed for a picture, a tad of excitement stirring in her gut as the old familiar notoriety set in. Seconds after the picture was taken, shouts came from behind, an old woman chasing down a pair of thieves who'd stormed out of her shop with stolen goods.

The stall owner motioned her toward them with grinning gusto. "Go get 'em!"

Tightening her jaw, she leapt from the pier and water-surfed toward the fleeing pair, skidding to the sandy shore, standing directly in their path.

"Hand over the bags or else!" she shouted, hands balling into fists at her sides.

One of the thieves snarled at her and crouched slightly, motioning rapidly and sending a shockwave of earth in her direction. She twisted to the side, realigning with them in a ready stance. A flying rock hit her hips from behind, another slamming into her head and knocking her to the ground. She groaned and held her aching head, teeth gritting against the pain. Two shadows passed over her eyes as she tried to recover, eyes flickering open to see them getting smaller in her blurry vision.

Suddenly, her eyes widened and sharpened, jaw dropping as they both flew off their feet in separate directions, sand flying into the air in a "V" shape as a gust of wind passed her by. Her head snapped in the direction of the wind's movement, eyes narrowing and jaw tightening as she saw a red figure standing over her, right hand held out.

"What are you doing here?" she growled.

His shoulders slumped as he gave her a deadpan look. "Really? We've got two earthbending thieves on the lam, and you're questioning my reasons for being here?" He waved behind her. "We got some runners, Avatar. Let's go!"

Korra smacked his hand away, scowling, and clambered to her feet, sprinting toward the fleeing criminals.

The Flash ran alongside her for a few seconds as the thieves split between the wooden buildings. "I'll take the one on the left, you go right!"

She gave him a curt nod, then arced away as he sped off, the shocks of rearranged earth reverberating through the ground as he engaged his target. The other thief was in sight in seconds, water from a flask at her hip whipping out to smack him on the back of his legs, sending him into a series of tumbles. Snarling, she sent several fireballs in his direction, all of them dodged and countered with several rock projectiles. Two were dodged, the third hitting her dead center as she dropped the floor beneath his feet. He yelped when his ankle was twisted on impact, trying to drag himself out of the hole as she pushed herself upright with shaking arms.

Korra managed to make her way over to the thief, pain evident in his frame and face as he managed to get out of the hole and crawl some distance toward the sack he'd dropped. Her foot stomped down on his wrist, causing another yelp as she picked up the sack and strode back toward the shop he'd stolen it from. A gust of wind from behind caused her to look back briefly. She saw nothing except the absence of a thief. One sack was already back at the shop when she arrived, and the moment she dropped hers on the counter, the sand at her side rustled with movement. She barely turned her head, catching red in her peripheral vision before turning toward the shop owner, who eyed her critically.

The old woman gave the stall owner a glance. "Are you _sure_ she's the Avatar?"

"She took down your thieves," the Flash pointed out.

Her arms crossed. "From what I saw, _you_ did that, Flash. She just picked up the slack."

"Hey," he protested, "that's not fair!"

"It's fine," Korra mumbled, turning away. "She's right."

Flash looked toward her leaving form, then turned back to the residents. "Have a nice day, ma'am."

She barely paid the approaching speedster a glance as he came up alongside her on her way back to her boat.

"Hey. You took a pretty nasty hit back there. Need me to take a look at it?"

"I'm fine," she said firmly, not even giving him a glance.

"Korra, come on, talk to me. I can _see_ the bruises."

"And? I said I'm fine." She boarded the vessel and untied the rigging. "I'll take care of it." Her eyes went up to him. "What are you doing here anyway?" Her arms crossed. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting your home?"

"My responsibilities don't end at the borders of Republic City."

She arched an eyebrow. "So you make house calls, is that it?"

His lips pursed.

Korra snorted and shook her head. "You can't even be honest with me. Quite a change, wouldn't you say?" She turned away and used her waterbending to get the boat moving.

"Yeah," he called, "you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

She froze for a second, then steered the boat back toward Republic City. When she looked back at the pier, he was gone.

…

Another day of travel passed without incident, Korra finally reaching Yue Bay just after nightfall and frowning at the massive expanse of lights and buildings in the distance. As she coasted through the fog, something on her left caught her eye, a silhouette that sent her gasping and a chill up her spine. Filling her vision inch by inch was…herself, in the Avatar state, looking exactly the same as she had the day she was poisoned. The other Korra glared down at her with white eyes, hands balled into fists, chains around her wrists. Closing her eyes and taking a breath to clear the apparition, she shifted the sails of her vessel and arced away from the city, unable and unwilling to face it…yet.

…

Morning came with clear skies and a bright sun, but gloom was no less present in her soul as she acquired the garb of an Earth Kingdom citizen and traded her Water Tribe clothing for it. One piece of her old life after the next was shed into the water, the boat already beached and discarded. Both hands wrapped around her free-hanging hair, pinching it halfway to the end. She hesitated for a moment, taking a breath, then reached to her right and wrapped her fingers around a steel katar. Long locks of raven hair spilled to the planks of the dock she stood on, a slow breath exiting her lungs as her eyes closed.

Something twitched in the back of her head, and her eyes flew open in alert as her body whipped around, the katar flying into the trees at her back when she heard rustling. No sounds of impact or pain were heard, and her eyes narrowed as her hands rose in readiness, the rustling of the foliage increasing as whatever was out there came closer. Eventually, the green of the leaves parted, admitting a red-clad figure and the katar he was holding by the handle. His cowl was fully on, ice-blue eyes examining the blade. He eventually looked up at her scowling countenance and shrugged, hefting the dagger.

"It's a nice weapon." He motioned back at the trees. "And that was a really nice toss."

Her jaw worked. "Didn't even have to use metalbending for it."

He shrugged again and nodded his approval, handing her the weapon hilt-first, watching as she tucked it into the back of her belt.

Korra eventually dropped the scowl, sighing tiredly as she retrieved her things. "What do you want, Barry?"

He pursed his lips and pulled back his cowl. "I'm worried about you."

Her arms crossed, one eyebrow arching. "So you're stalking me?"

Barry sputtered several times. "O-Okay, 'stalking' is _such_ an ugly word, no, I'm…" He rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Okay, yeah, I'm stalking you, just a little bit." His hands rose in surrender. "But it wasn't my idea."

Korra's ears perked up as she walked past him into the forest. "Oh?"

"No." He sighed hard. "Look, your mom asked me to keep an eye on you, make sure you reached the city okay. She's worried about you. We _both_ are."

"And she thought that sending the one man I _don't_ want to see would communicate how much she cares?"

Another sigh. "No, I…Korra, look. I know I've been gone a long time, and I know that I have no right to ask _anything_ of you, but…can you at least tell me why you hate me so much? All I need is to understand, and I'll leave you be."

Her face fell and eyes closed briefly. "I don't hate you."

"Really?" he asked disbelievingly. "Because that punch to the face suggested otherwise."

Korra winced noticeably, trudging along and glancing over at him. "Look, do you really want to walk around in your suit with no mask on?"

He vanished briefly, coming back in a gray jacket and his usual casual attire.

She looked him up and down. "Where'd you ditch the suit?"

Barry smiled a little, lifting up his right hand and showing his new ring. "A little gift from…a friend. See, he based it off the tech in the Reverse-Flash's—" He frowned. "Don't change the subject, Korra."

A smirk played over her lips as she turned away and kept walking.

"Korra—"

"Barry, look." She came to a stop, falling silent. "I… _can't_ be around you. I just…there's too much pain. It's too fresh."

"It's been a year since I left."

"And barely two weeks since you came back. You reopened old wounds, Barry." Her lips pursed. "I need time to seal them shut again."

He gently grabbed her arm when she tried to leave. "Tell me what happened, Korra. Why did you go back home? Why did everything deteriorate when I vanished?"

Korra's jaw clenched as her eyes closed, nostrils flaring as she looked up at him. "You didn't vanish, Barry. You died. Asami believed it, Mako believed it. Hell, the whole _world_ believed it. I didn't. Not for a while, at least. But the more I hoped, the more pain I felt, until I realized there was only one way I'd be able to function: distance myself from the memories, from anything that reminded me of you. At least until I got a handle on it all."

"But you never did," he added quietly.

Her head shook slowly, and she started walking again.

He walked beside her. "So what do I do, Korra? How do I make this right? I need to know how to make this right."

Her eyes squeezed shut as she came to a stop, one hand pressing against her forehead as she turned to face him. "You can't, Bear."

"But I can explain—"

"You already did," she interrupted.

Barry stared at her uncomprehendingly.

She sighed. "When you had dinner with my parents and Katara…that story you told. I heard every word."

"And do you believe me?"

"With the conviction and detail you spoke? Of course I do."

"Then why—"

"Because I have to distance myself from you. Look…I _forgive_ you for leaving. Hell, I'm not even mad at you." Korra took a breath. "I'm angry with myself."

He kept staring at her silently.

"Barry…when you left…when you vanished, I lost a piece of myself."

"I know. Katara told me."

"Yeah, but she never told you what piece that was."

He fell silent.

"Barry…you weren't just my anchor. You were my heart, my identity." She huffed and smiled. "I'd spent so long defining who I was by you…I realized I didn't know who I was _without_ you."

He huffed and started pacing. "So, so what, you're saying our relationship, everything we were was a mistake?"

"No!" She grabbed his arms, smiling. "Barry…the time I spent with you…the months we had together were some of the happiest of my _life_." One hand went to his face, pushing windswept hair out of his eyes. "But I need to rediscover who I am, and I need to do it alone. I'll never know who I'm supposed to be if I'm stuck being who I was."

His eyes squeezed shut as pain came over his features. Barry took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he wiped his eyes and nodded. "Okay. Okay. I understand."

She smiled and pulled away. "Thank you."

"Just one thing. Where exactly are you headed?"

Korra glanced back at him. "North. I need to get to the Spirit World." She turned forward and started walking again. "I think it's high time I figure out why I can't go into the Avatar state, and to do that, I need to reconnect with Raava."

"Well, you know," he said as he came up alongside her again, "I can get you to the North Pole a lot faster." He shrugged. "If you wanted."

Korra sighed and stopped, smiling a little. "Okay, Barry. One last run."

He smiled a little, turning into a full-blown grin as he looked around for any prying eyes. "Watch this." He held out his right hand, touching the symbol on the ring and keeping it aloft. A moment later, his suit shot out of the jewel, and he snatched it from the air, donning it in a split-second, mask over his features as he turned back to her, grinning. He held his arms out to his sides. "It's awesome, right?!"

Korra actually chuckled and nodded slowly, smiling back at him. "Yeah." She looked at him for a long moment. "Yeah it is."

…

It took a few hours for Barry to carry her to the northern spirit portal, since he wasn't pushing himself. It gave them some time to talk, though Barry did most of the talking, and that was okay with him, because despite her lack of speech, it was clear that she was listening. And laughing, and smiling. He'd gotten her to smile again, and that alone was an accomplishment. When they were finally in sight of the portal, he stopped just twenty feet away from its glowing edges, setting her down and allowing her to dust herself off. A gentle snowfall was coming down, though a great deal more was on the horizon.

Korra took a deep breath as she smiled a little, hefting her bag over her shoulder. "Well…I guess this is it, huh?"

Barry pulled back his cowl, not even feeling the cold or snow as his entire being went numb. "Yeah," he said quietly, voice almost a whisper. "Guess so."

She looked back at him, taking in his glum appearance and sighing. "Bear…" she approached him, "I'll be back. A week, a month, a year maybe…but I'll be back."

He looked up at her. "And then what? We're…allies, friends? Awkward acquaintances?"

She frowned and winced.

"You don't have to answer." Barry took her hands with a breath. "I love you, Korra." His head shook slowly. "That's never gonna change." He reached into a pocket of his suit and put a lightning bolt earpiece in her hand. "That said…if you _ever_ need me, just press that emblem and speak into it. Tell me where you are." He smirked. "It's a gift from the other Cisco. Long-range. I'll hear you from across continents."

Korra stared down at the emblem, smiling wistfully. "That's the first thing you ever gave me, remember?" She looked up at him. "A lightning bolt. In case I needed you."

Barry smiled. "I guess some things never change."

She embraced him tightly. "And that needs to include you."

He looked at her confusedly as she pulled away.

"Maybe not in all ways, but in some." She put a hand to his chest. "Your strength, your heart." Her blue eyes looked up into his. "Don't ever lose that." She smiled. "It's what makes you special."

He stared down at her with filling eyes, holding her close again and burying his face in her hair. He took one last inhale, memorizing her salty oceanic scent before she pulled away. Barry couldn't look at her as she marched toward the portal, bag over her shoulder, his ears hearing the crunch of snow for a few seconds before it stopped suddenly. Assuming she'd gone through the portal, he turned around and made to leave.

"Barry!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned back around. His eyes went wide when he felt warm lips on his own, body freezing in shock before his arms curled around her shorter frame, enjoying every moment before she broke away, pushing a few locks of hair from her face.

"W-What—"

She pressed a metal object into his right hand. "For luck."

Barry looked down to see the lightning-shaped locket she'd given him, eyes coming back up to hers as she smiled up at him. He tucked the locket into a pocket of his suit, smiling back down at her. "Thank you."

Korra released him and went back for the portal, snatching up her things as she approached its glowing light.

"Stay safe, Avatar."

She turned her head and smiled at him. "You too, Flash."

He grinned and waved as she stepped through the light, turning away and pulling his cowl over his features. A laugh bubbled from his throat as he took off faster than the strongest east wind.

…

A red streak passed through one road after another, sending dirt and sand flying in his wake as he sped toward the center of the world. Meanwhile, a bike messenger pedaled his way toward his next delivery, something stuck in his front wheel getting his attention just long enough for him to drift into traffic. A Satomobile impacted him from the side, sending him flying off his bike and into a tumble beneath the wheels of the car. Or, at least, it _would've_ , had a red blur not tackled him from the air and dropped him twenty feet away.

The entire intersection came to a stop as they all stared at the effects of the wind left in his wake. One crowd after the next came to a halt, their eyes turning toward the blur as it weaved through the busy city streets. When it came to Avatar Korra Park, dozens of people looked toward the Flash statue, their eyes eventually turning toward the glass case at its base and seeing a paper taped over top of the news article, with the words "I'M BACK."

And the Flash ran in a circle around Republic City, just once before turning home, a loud, triumphant whoop resounding in his wake.

* * *

AN: Thus begins the action of Act II in earnest and my foray into Book Four. I hope you like how I've handled this so far and are looking forward to more. Although I do want to focus more on Korra in this act, there isn't a lot of info on what she does in the space between her leaving and returning, and if you guys want to see all of that, you can just watch the series.

Anyway, next chapter the real story begins and trust me, it's gonna be awesome. I will warn you, those who are uber fanatical about preserving canon _will_ be disappointed. Because of the existence of the Flash, and a whole lot of other DC heroes in this alternate Earth, things _will_ be changed, some fairly considerably. However, if you like how I've handled things so far, you're gonna love what comes next.

Please review and recommend as you see fit.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 – Proud of You: start-1:50—saying goodbye/"what makes you special", 1:50-end—the Flash returns/end of chapter


	36. Guide

Guide (n.): a person who advises or shows the way to others.

6 months later

Ba Sing Se

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"When I was a child, I lost both my parents on the same night, to a man who never should've existed in my time. Eighteen months ago, I rescued my father and brought my mother's killers to justice. I also left this Earth for just two days, only to come back and find out I'd missed a year. The world changed in my absence. _Everything_ changed. My friends went on to do bigger and better things, my dad got a new medical practice out in the west, and the woman I love…she moved on. Sort of.

"It's been six months since I came home, and I'm on my own now…which is fine, I guess. It's just…it gets lonely sometimes, you know? And boring. _Soooo_ boring. But more than that…I don't know. I guess I'm having a hard time adjusting. I mean, in the six months after I came back, there was plenty for me to do. Metas left and right comin' through the breach in the Spirit Wilds, picking up the pieces left in the Reverse-Flash's wake. But now…now I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't know my purpose when there isn't some world-ending cataclysm to stop. Funny…was a time where all I wanted was peace, but now that I have it…I don't know what to do."

Barry Allen looked up at the man at the other end of the table. "You understand?"

Oliver Queen pursed his lips and sighed hard. "More than I'd like to admit. Thing is, Barry, I don't think you're having trouble finding purpose. I think your problem is accepting it."

He shrugged and stared down into his coffee, stirring it slowly. "Ever since I started using my powers to help people, being the Flash has been my entire focus. But what does the Flash do when people no longer need saving? What do I do, Oliver?"

Oliver smirked. "Try your dayjob. I hear it puts food on the table."

Barry gave him a deadpan look and snorted. "Like I _need_ money. Ever since she found out about my overclocked metabolism, Asami insisted on paying my food bill, and since that was, for the longest time, my biggest expense, I've had more than enough for myself."

"Speaking of, are you still living with her?"

He shrugged. "I don't like living alone, and since Mako became Prince Wu's bodyguard, he's been forced to move out of our apartment. I mean, I'm still keeping the place up, but…doesn't seem to be much point in living there." He smiled. "Besides, Asami and I have a lot of catching up to do, even six months later." His heart ached briefly as his smile turned sad. "She missed me. A lot. When I first came back, she woke up in the middle of the night sometimes, and I could hear her sobs from two rooms down until I came to check up on her. Like she kept wondering if one day, she'd wake up and I wouldn't be there anymore." He looked up at Oliver. "There's no harm in me sticking around, and truth be told, I don't want to leave her, even if it's just to move a short run downtown."

"She's family," Oliver said simply, smirking. "Nothing's more important than family."

Barry's lips pursed. "Yeah…I was sorry…to hear about your mom. I would've come sooner, but…you know."

Oliver smiled sadly and looked away with a wince. "Thanks. It's been months since it happened, and…I still feel it like it was yesterday."

Barry licked his lips. "My mom died over eight years ago, and there are some days where the pain is worse than the night it happened. Grief is a strange thing, has a mind of its own. Only thing you can do is ride out the storm and hope to heaven that the people you have will stick with you through it all."

Oliver nodded slowly. "True enough." He looked back to Barry. "Sounds to me like you're experiencing a different kind of pain, though."

Barry nodded. "Ever since Korra left…I don't know. I mean…we parted on good terms, I think. Gave me a little hope that maybe…we might be able to get back to where we were before, maybe even better, but…" He shrugged. "I don't know, Ollie. It's been six months with no word, no sightings. Not even a letter to let us know she's okay. Starting to feel like it was a permanent goodbye."

"Except you don't actually believe that."

"How can I not? All the evidence is right there, staring me in the face."

Oliver's lips pursed. "And does your heart believe the evidence?"

Barry gave him a strange look, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Who are you and what have you done with Oliver Queen? The Oliver I knew _couldn't_ ask a question like that. Like, ever."

He chuckled. "Well, the Oliver Queen you knew was also a gigantic ass. And I'm glad he's gone."

Barry smirked. "In more ways than one." He leaned back in his seat. "The 'Green Arrow,' huh?"

Ollie nodded slowly. "As far as history is concerned, the Arrow died defeating Slade Wilson just over six months ago. My city needed a hero."

"Though from what I hear, it's got more than one now."

He waved at Barry. "You're one to talk."

Barry shrugged and sipped his coffee, the smile slowly slipping from his features.

"Barry."

He looked up at Oliver. "Hm?"

"You're doing that thing again, where you're not okay."

Another shrug. "No, I'm…just thinking about what to do next. You know, Korra said something to me, before she left. Said that she'd based her identity on who she was to me for so long that she didn't know who she was without me. And now that I have time and space to think, I think I'm in the same bind. I don't know who I am without her. Am I Barry Allen? The Flash? What do I do, Oliver?"

Ollie took a long drag of his coffee. "Well…I think the first thing to do is shove down the panic that's trying to set in. It never helps. Second thing you need to do is think long and hard about why you became the Flash, why you became a CSI, why, instead of using your intellect to lining your pockets and making yourself popular, you decided to apply your talents to helping people, super or not."

Barry's brows furrowed as he faced Oliver head-on.

"And then you need to realize that everything changes, one way or another. It has to. Without change, we can't grow, and if we stop growing, we die." Oliver's lips pursed as he looked down and away. "I learned that the hard way." His eyes trailed back up to his friend. "You don't have to. You've always been as stubborn as I am, but for the right reasons, not out of fear or anger."

"That's not true," Barry protested with a shake of his head.

"Okay, don't get me wrong. Everyone acts out of fear every now and again." He shrugged. "It's human nature. No two ways about it. But you're not _like_ everyone else. And, as we've both pointed out in the past, you're not like me."

"I'm not sure that's such a good thing. I mean, look at me. I'm no good to anyone the way I am now, so unsure and indecisive. Korra said that my strength and heart make me special, but it's like without a threat, without someone to save, I don't know how to use them."

"That's a lie," Oliver said flatly. "And I've known it since the day we met." He looked away, taking a deep breath. "Barry…I have a confession to make. That…thing she saw in you. What your father saw, and Chief Beifong, and everyone else who knows you…I saw it too." He looked up at Barry, expression deadly serious. "And for the longest time, I resented you for it."

Barry looked at him confusedly, shaking his head slightly. "What are you talking about?"

Oliver sighed hard, closing his eyes briefly. "Remember…when you came to Ba Sing Se, and we teamed up for the first time, to take down Harkness?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, 'course I remember."

"You told me that with everything I'd gone through, I couldn't have come out the other side at _all_ , much less a hero, if there weren't a light inside of me."

"Okay?"

Oliver's lips pursed. "Barry, all those times I yelled at you or lectured you about one thing or another…it wasn't _just_ because of your inexperience." He gulped slowly. "After you disappeared, I realized that I resented you…because your light _always_ eclipsed mine."

Barry stared at him blankly.

He held up a finger for emphasis. "See, _that's_ your power, your _real_ strength. Not your speed, not your intellect, not even Korra. An old friend once told me that love is the most powerful emotion, and that is what makes you better. Your love, your care for all of humanity. Your _need_ to see justice done, to always do the right thing no matter what it takes. You don't need Korra for that. You don't even need your speed. All you need is a mission, someone to care for, someone to help, even if they don't need saving. You have _always_ lived to make someone else's life better. That's how this all began, didn't it? So get back to that, and you'll find your center again."

Barry stared off to the side for a few moments. "How?"

Oliver shrugged and grinned. "You're the Flash. You'll find a way." His grin faded to a small smile. "I have faith in you."

The speedster smiled back at his friend, nodding slowly. "Thank you, Oliver. I…I really needed to hear this." He winced. "And I'm sorry for laying all this on you so suddenly. I just didn't really have anyone else to—"

Oliver cut him off with a raised hand. "Barry, I told you that if you ever needed to talk, about anything, you could come to me, and I meant it." He smiled. "It's my pleasure."

Barry smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

Ollie grinned. "Now, don't you have a city to get back to? Or can you stay a bit longer? Raisa, my family's steward, she makes an excellent soufflé."

He chuckled. "Well, you know I'm all about the soufflé."

They exchanged a laugh and headed for the door of the coffee shop, Oliver flagging down Diggle in a nearby limo and ushering Barry inside.

…

30 minutes later

Queen Mansion, Upper Ring

"Should be only five more minutes."

Oliver smiled at the portly woman. "Thank you, Raisa." He turned to Barry, who was inspecting a few model ships, opening his mouth to speak when a loud beep from the speedster's pocket sounded.

Barry pulled out his upgraded long-range earpiece (courtesy of Cisco-One), and put it to his ear. "Yeah, what's up?" He frowned a little. "Uh huh? Okay, I'll be right there." He turned to Oliver with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Ollie. Looks like I'll have to skip soufflé."

He waved dismissively. "That's okay. Thea'll take care of it."

A short, lanky girl passed through a nearby doorway, Barry giving her a strange look as he dragged his eyes back to Oliver. "Her?" he asked, pointing a thumb in her general direction.

Oliver nodded, eyebrows arched.

He looked back, seeing Thea reading something in the next room, then snapped his vision to Oliver. "Where does she fit it all?"

Ollie threw his hands up. "Good luck figuring it out, 'cause I've been trying since she was six."

They both chuckled as Barry grabbed his jacket and shook Oliver's hand. "Thanks for the talk, Oliver."

He nodded. "Anytime."

Barry left in the next couple of seconds.

…

30 minutes later

Sato Estate, Republic City

Barry looked around Asami's empty room for a few seconds before moving to her home office and finding her bent over some legal documents. He gently knocked on the doorframe, and she looked up to smile at him.

"Hey, Bear." She stood, patting down the papers and setting them aside. "Come on," she added, grabbing his arm on the way out the door.

"Where are we going?"

"Something I have to show you."

Asami led him outside, around back to her father's workshop, Barry giving her a confused look as she pulled the lever to activate the secret passage and ushered him onto the elevator.

Barry spoke after a few moments of silence. "I thought you hated this place."

Her jaw tightened briefly. "No, Barry…I was afraid. Afraid that if I came back down here, that if I relived the memories, it'd destroy me. And then I realized, what good has running done me? Done _any_ of us?" She glanced at his smirk, rolling her eyes. "You know what I mean."

He nodded slowly, smiling. "So why bring me here?"

Asami smirked. "Because coming here isn't just me healing."

She stepped off the elevator as it came to a stop, pushing aside a set of double-doors Barry hadn't remembered being there. His jaw dropped as he stepped through, coming to a stop as he stared at the space in shock.

"Welcome to Flash Central 2.0."

Barry strode toward the center of the massive room, gaping in shock and glee at how different it looked from the last time he'd been there. The walls and floors were cleaned to a shine, the lighting bright and fluorescent, some of the spotlights illuminating banners, both of the United Republic and the Flash's new white-and-gold symbol. An assembly line of spare suits sat in one corner of the space, with the center containing maps, radios, and everything else they needed for a base of operations.

"Asami—this is…this is—"

"I know," she deadpanned with a grin. "I'm amazing like that."

He laughed unrestrainedly as he zipped from one end of the room to the other, inspecting his suits and coming to a halt in the center of the room, an area he mentally nicknamed the Cortex. Eventually, he looked back up to a grinning Asami and sprinted over to her, picking her up while moving and swinging her in circles, the woman laughing and holding him tightly. When he finally set her down, she pushed some windblown hair out of her face, stepping away and crossing her arms as she moved toward the Cortex. Barry came up alongside her.

"So, why the new digs?"

"Well," Asami answered, "the airfield is nice, but nowadays it's being used for, you know, actual aircraft testing. Plus, it isn't exactly inconspicuous, and since we can't exactly assign armed guards, I thought an underground fortress would be a better base of operations."

Barry nodded slowly, pointing at the suits. "And these are all ring-compatible?"

She smirked. "I had Cisco send me the plans after he constructed that last one. He was right. For all their advanced tech, those designs are quite simple."

He fell back into a chair and kicked back, rolling across the room to Asami's desk, grinning up at her. "This is _awesome_."

She smiled back and kissed his forehead. "Happy birthday, Bear."

Barry blinked rapidly, looking up at her. "Wait…what?"

Asami chuckled. "I should've known you'd forget." Her head shook slowly as she reached into her inside jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. "From your dad."

A few more blinks passed before he snatched the envelope and tore it open, reading for only a few seconds before his lips stretched into a smile. He stood up, pacing and coming to a stop just a few feet away. He finished, putting a hand over his mouth as his eyes filled and a pair of arms curled around his shoulders from behind.

"Happy nineteenth, Barry."

He smiled wider, tears spilling from his eyes as his free hand grasped Asami's. Eventually, he wiped his eyes and disengaged, clearing his throat as he set the envelope down on her desk. He slumped into a seat a moment later, smile plastered to his face. It faded to a small curve after a few more seconds as he looked up at her.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

She rubbed his shoulder briefly. "Anytime, Bear."

Silence reigned over the space for almost a full minute before the Cortex's central radio hub beeped to life. Asami strode over and put her ear to the receiver for a few seconds, frowning.

"Robbery in progress on Ash and 8th," she said, glancing over at him.

He grinned and shrugged, hopping from his chair to reach over to a nearby workbench and snatch up a golden device. Putting it on, he placed its front onto the emblem of one of the suits, watching in accustomed awe as it sucked the suit into its hollow insides. Making for the elevator shaft, he stopped when Asami cleared her throat to get his attention. Barry turned back and watched as she kept pointing toward a wall that used to be sewer grating. He cocked his head slightly as she flicked a switch on the central dashboard, causing rectangular panel of the wall to recede and give him a straight shot to the surface.

Another grin. "You're golden, Asami." Pointing his hand, his suit burst from the ring and onto his frame as he sped out the secret exit.

…

The Flash ran across the city at a rapid pace, though considering the speeds he'd had to achieve lately, it wasn't anything special. When he arrived at the address, bafflement struck for a few moments before he walked through the front door. His confusion only intensified when he saw the culprit, the initial fear of facing him offset by what he had in his hands. Captain Cold turned to face him, looking utterly annoyed but not at all hostile as he hefted two bags of…were those clothes? _Women's_ clothes?

The Flash lifted a hand to hip level to point at him vaguely. "Snart? Are you…what exactly is happening right now?"

He sighed hard. "Let me guess. Store owner called the cops. 'Robbery in progress,' right?"

He shrugged.

Snart rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration. "There isn't. They just flagged me down 'cause that's usually what I do."

Flash waved toward the ceiling, indicating the sign of the store. "This is a women's boutique."

"Exactly, now why the hell would I want to rob a place like this?" He snorted a laugh. "Thing is, I actually _paid_ for all this stuff." Cold motioned toward the counter, where the cowering shopowner was busy staring at a large pile of yuans sitting on his register.

The Flash was still utterly confused as he lifted his hands into the air. "Why?"

Snart rolled his eyes again. "It's my sister's birthday tomorrow, jerkwad. Wanted to get her something nice."

Barry blinked hard once, then twice, finally shaking his head to clear the "does not compute" from his mind. "I'm sorry, I'm just…trying to decide which one is weirder: Leonard Snart paying for something, or that he has a sister he actually cares about."

"Hilarious," Cold deadpanned, glaring at him. A long breath was inhaled and exhaled hard as he held his wrists out. "Fine. If you insist on taking me in, I won't fight. Not in the mood. Just make sure these get to my sister." He nodded at the bags.

Flash looked back at the proprietor, glancing around the store to verify that no one was hurt in the slightest. He looked back to Snart. "I wouldn't even know where to start looking, and to be honest, I'm not really in the mood to take you in."

Snart hid his shock well, but not well enough.

"Look…you've been avoiding attracting too much attention, causing trouble, and I appreciate that, even if you are a thieving douche from time to time. Truth is, far as I know, you haven't done anything illegal since, you know, breaking out of prison." He stepped aside. "You can go. For now."

Cold hesitated for a moment, then strode toward the exit with a shrug.

Barry grabbed his arm as he walked past. "But if I hear anything about you causing trouble, I'm coming for you."

He smirked and looked over at him. "Understood…Barry."

Barry arched an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly with a deadpan look. "Just go before I change my mind."

Snart just smiled and shook his head as he walked out.

"And Snart!"

He glanced back, annoyed.

Barry grinned. "Tell your sister happy birthday for me." He sped away a moment later.

"Sure thing," Snart said to no one as he started walking. "Ass."

…

3 hours later

RC Jitters

He was walking out of the coffee shop, smiling rather knowingly at one of the hostesses. "Iris" read her name tag. On his way out, a shady-looking man pulled him into a nearby alley, holding a small crossbow on him.

"Wallet. Money. Now."

A disbelieving jaw drop graced Barry's features for a moment before a grin spread over his features. "Oh, this is awesome."

The man stared at him blankly.

"You've gotta be kidding me." He glanced down at his coffee. "Hold on, okay? I'm just gonna set this down." He laughed and started pacing as he set down his mug. "I mean, this is _crazy_." He grinned at the mugger. "There are literally millions of people in Republic City, and out of everyone you could've picked to rob—" he tapped his chest, "—you pick me."

More blank stares passed before the mugger blinked hard and waved the crossbow. "What are you, sick? Money, _now_."

Barry chuckled. "Just—you're gonna be kickin' yourself, man. I mean, if there was a bending tournament for bad luck, you didn't just medal, you Toph Beifonged."

He gripped the crossbow tighter and pointed it at his head. "I'm gonna count to three, and then I'm gonna shoot you."

Barry grinned. "Okay."

"One."

"Yeah."

"Two."

Before the mugger could exhale another syllable, Barry vanished in a gust of wind—along with the guy's jacket, pants, and weapon, leaving him in nothing but his boxers and boots. A metalbending cop mysteriously appeared right next to him a second later. The discarded mug of coffee disappeared a second after that, and a lanky nineteen-year-old in a red t-shirt and gray jacket strode toward the waterfront, a block away from the alley. He sipped his coffee as he passed another side street, a voice stopping him in his tracks and nearly causing him to choke on the piping hot liquid.

"Still an insufferable showoff, I see."

When the coughs and sputters subsided, he looked into the alley, deep shadows cast by the setting sun, and narrowed his eyes for a moment, jaw open halfway as the voice registered. His eyes went wide when a pair of ocean blue eyes peeked out at him from behind raven locks. A small smirk was framed by the ends of those locks, ripped arms sitting crossed over a chest just a foot below.

Barry stared for another moment, mouth agape, before he blinked and unfroze. "Korra?"

The smirk turned into a full-blown grin as she stepped out of the shadows and embraced him, careful not to spill his coffee. "Hey, Bear. Been a while."

"Y-Yeah, I'll say," he replied, hugging her back with one arm. As they pulled apart, he looked her over, frowning when he saw bruises over her left eye and right cheekbone. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "A little beat up, but I'm getting stronger by the day." A sigh. "Need a breakthrough soon, though." Korra frowned and looked off to the side. "Starting to feel like I left home for nothing."

He stared at her. "You ever considered that you haven't been making progress because you refuse to let anyone help?"

Korra shot him a small glare and crossed her arms again.

Barry threw his hands up. "Fine. Fine, you're right. It's just…" He shifted. "I promised I wouldn't come after you, that I'd let you sort things out, and I have, for six months." He set his coffee down on a nearby bench, taking her hands. "I've waited, Korra. Waited so long." He drew closer, picking up on a sharp intake of breath on her part just six inches away.

Her hand on his chest pushed him away with some hesitation. "Barry—I can't."

He blinked rapidly.

"Not yet."

A shrug. "So…what, I'm gone for a year, and you have to put me through the same thing, is that it?"

She looked up at him in shock. "What?" Her head shook rapidly. "No, of course not." She took his arms. "I already said I forgave you, and I do, but..." she sighed, "I'm not ready to get back to…what we were." At a roll of his eyes, she huffed and looked away. "Barry, I can't be who I need to be if you're always in the background, ready to storm in and save the day when everything goes wrong. And it's not an ego thing."

"I know," he sighed. "I just…when are you coming home?"

Korra smiled a little. "Soon, Bear. Meantime, I just stopped by to wish you a happy birthday." She reached into a messenger bag at her side. "And give you this."

Barry reached out to take a manila folder from her grip, opening it and perusing its contents for a moment before recognition registered on his face. He looked back up to her, lips parted. "Korra, this is—how did you get this?"

She leaned against a nearby lamppost, arms crossed. "Was trying to make it into the United Republic without being recognized when I came across a United Forces camp out in the mountains. Obscure, looked like it was being hidden. On a hunch, I sneaked in and found the commander's tent." Korra pointed at the folder. "Found that waiting for me."

He looked over at her concernedly. "Are you okay? Did anyone spot you?" His thumb traced over her face. "Is that how you got these?"

She brushed his hand away as her head shook. "I may not be up to full fighting shape, but I know a thing or two about stealth, Bear." She tapped the folder. "Figured you'd have more use for that than I would. Not exactly the most traditional birthday present—"

"But I've been looking for this for almost two _years_ without success." Barry smiled and pulled her close. "Thank you." He held on for a few more seconds, tightly, not wanting to let go. His eyes closed for a moment, savoring the feeling of her in his arms.

"Barry," she whispered.

"I know." Another couple of seconds later, he let her go and held one of her hands with his empty one. "Please stay safe."

"I'll do my best," Korra assured him, gripping his hand tightly. "Trust me, I didn't go off to find myself just so I could get killed."

Barry snorted and arched an eyebrow. "Well _that's_ reassuring."

She smacked his shoulder hard, causing a loud yelp. "Oh, _come_ on. Wasn't even that hard."

His face took on a strange, pensive expression as he looked her over. "Or maybe you still don't know your own strength."

Korra smirked and nodded, turning back for the alley. "Goodbye, Barry."

"Goodbye, Korra." Before she was out of sight, he called after her.

She turned to face him, mostly cloaked in shadows.

"What do I do?"

He could see her smile and shrug. "What you do best." Korra backed her way into the alley. "You love doing it, so what's stopping you?"

Barry stared into the alley, watching her become smaller and smaller until she lifted into the air and out of sight. He blinked a few times, a pensive expression on his face as he looked over the file. A huff left his throat as he smacked his forehead. _Idiot! I've been looking at this all wrong._ A grin spread over his features as he retrieved his coffee and downed it in one shot, feeling the briefest of caffeine highs before taking off with his new reading material.

…

Future Industries Airfield

Asami tabbed down with the typewriter she was using, glancing at the legal documents on her right, she entered a bit more information on the document, jumping a little when several unexpectedly loud knocks sounded from the doorway. Her green eyes looked up expectantly, face falling into a deadpan when she saw who it was. Her arms crossed.

"So," she said, "you finally decided to come back from vacation."

A young, brown-haired man stepped through the door, a brown leather jacket slung over his shoulder, a tight t-shirt doing nothing to hide his well-defined arms. "Come on, boss. It's not like you actually had any work for me. You admitted that yourself when I asked for time off."

Asami leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "I _might've_ if you'd actually given me valid contact information."

He held back a smile rather poorly. "Well, I will admit that I may have miswritten a digit or two, but the number was still good."

She glared.

He approached her desk and sat on the other side, looking down at her with a cocky smirk. "Come on, 'Sami. Can't a guy get a break?" His eyebrows lifted. "You know I'm good for it."

Her nostrils flared briefly before she rolled her eyes and huffed, returning her eyes to the typewriter. "Fine."

He fist-pumped and got up, heading for the door.

"Be warned," she said firmly, stopping him in his tracks. "You're on notice, Jordan. Screw up, and you're gonna find your employment here _very_ tenuous."

He looked back and grinned at her. "Don't mind me, boss. I promise, you give me a week, you won't even know I was gone."

Asami arched an eyebrow critically. "I better not." She pointed at the door. "Now get out of here and get to work."

"Aye-aye, ma'am," he replied flippantly, saluting sloppily on his way out.

Asami sighed hard once he was gone, rubbing her tired eyes as her head became heavy and fell into her hands. A gust of wind caused her to jump as her head snapped up. "Spirits, Barry! Don't you knock?"

He gave her a strange look and a smirk. "Asami…this is an air control center. It's not the ladies' room."

The CEO sighed and palmed her eyes, letting out a long breath. "Sorry. It's just been a really long week." She leaned back in her seat and waved out the window. "City's been trying to rebuild after everything that's happened, and I've been trying to help, but President Raiko's budget isn't cutting it. Theoretically, I _could_ subsidize the difference, but something tells me my investors wouldn't look at that too kindly."

Barry nodded slowly, glancing back at the door. He jerked his thumb toward it. "By the way, who was that?"

She groaned softly. "One of my employees. A very fickle, inconsistent employee who annoys me to no end."

He arched an eyebrow. "And why does he still have a job? I didn't think you were one to just take that."

"I'm not, but the fact is…" she sighed hard. "Okay, I will _never_ admit this to him, but Hal is the best damn pilot I've ever seen. His skill behind the yoke of a plane…" her head shook slowly, "I've never seen anything like it. Almost like it's an extension of his body."

"So, you keep him on, despite his annoying habits, because he's a prodigy."

She shrugged. "Essentially, yes."

Barry gave her a sideways look, a wry smirk on his face. "Really? 'Cause it seemed to me like he was acting a bit…familiar."

Asami's eyes widened slightly in alarm as she sputtered a few times, face filling with red. "Well, I uh…he's—we're…um…"

He arched his eyebrows, smirk turning into a full-blown grin.

Her eyes rolled as she groaned. "It's complicated."

"Asami," he teased, "have you actually been getting a life?"

She tossed a stapler at his head, the speedster laughing and catching it with ease as she crossed her arms defensively and turned her back to him.

Next thing she knew, he was in front of her, grinning like a madman. That is, until he saw the document on her typewriter. Eyes perusing it for a moment, he turned to her a second later. "That's a requisition order. You're laying down track?"

Asami nodded tiredly. "New mag-lev rail line. State-of-the-art Varrick Global technology for a line connecting us to Ba Sing Se. A trip that would normally take weeks would be reduced to just over two hours."

He nodded slowly in approval. "What's the problem?"

She sighed. "We're understaffed and underfunded, and since this is a public, not private, project, I can't ladle too many extra resources into it without drawing the ire of my investors. The deadline is supposed to be a week from now, in time for Prince Wu's coronation so that he can take its maiden journey back to Ba Sing Se."

"But you've fallen behind due to lack of manpower," he guessed.

She nodded once.

He turned toward the window, looking out at the city as a smile slowly spread over his features. "You know…I think I've been looking at this all wrong."

Her brows furrowed. "Looking at what?"

Barry glanced at her. "Me. Being the Flash." He shrugged. "When I started this, actually using my powers, it wasn't just to take down bad guys. Hell, I wasn't any good at it at first. I had to _learn_ how to be a fighter." He looked toward the paper on her desk. "I never had to learn how to help people. And I've just gotten so…caught up in all the conflict that I forgot the true purpose of the Flash." He smiled at Asami. "I want you to put together a press conference for tomorrow, in front of City Hall, or maybe Future Industries HQ."

Her brows furrowed as she gave him a sideways look. "Why?"

He grinned. "'Cause I'm about to solve your manpower problem."

…

Next day

Dozens of reporters and hundreds of citizens milled about in front of the iconic City Hall, waiting patiently for the conference to begin, most rather confused about what exactly was going on. After all, the briefs the journalists and public had received were rather vague, just speaking on a possible solution for the city's growing budget issues, which _everyone_ had been grumbling about for months. Imagine their surprise when the mic picked up a massive burst of wind, everyone turning toward the stage to see their very own Scarlet Speedster standing behind the podium with a smile. The plaza erupted into deafening applause, the Flash waving them all to a calm about a minute later.

He leaned toward the mic. "Thank you for coming, everyone."

Dozens of cameras flashed and snapped as he spoke.

"I called you all here today to address a growing problem in this city, and the nation at large. Over the past few months, and in actuality the past few years, this great city has been the victim of attack after attack, one malcontent after another leveling their wrath on us for no reason except to cause trouble. As such, they've destroyed buildings, lives, infrastructure. They've threatened our public servants and private citizens. Threatened the order on which we stand and operate. They've tried to take away our loved ones and livelihood." His lips pursed. "And they've failed, every time, but not without lasting consequences.

"The Equalist uprising nearly bankrupted this city's greatest corporate benefactor. The Dark Avatar's meddling spawned the Spirit Wilds, which, though now a part of our everyday life, were extremely disruptive when they first arrived. Four escaped fugitives held our great city in the grip of fear, and nearly killed its guardian almost three years ago." His nostrils flared. "The Reverse-Flash subjected us to metahuman attack and nearly wiped us all out in one fell swoop, with an action that left us vulnerable to other dangers. And over the last six months alone, metahumans from another Earth have slipped through, wreaking havoc on Republic City and our world. Through all that, we've endured, but this city has suffered because of it.

"Buildings damaged, infrastructure destroyed, costs and shortages. It's all piled up now, and the harsh truth is that our nation is on the brink of bankruptcy." The Flash smiled. "But you don't have to worry, because I found a way to bridge the gap, keep the United Republic closer to the black, give our public servants enough time to bring us back up from the dumps." His shoulders broadened. "To this end, I am officially pledging myself to the renovation and reconstruction of Republic City, free of charge."

A dozen cameras went off at once as applause erupted.

When they calmed, he continued. "Things are quieter now, and with that peace must come creation, or we'll stagnate. As human beings, conflict is in our nature, but it _cannot_ be our focus, no matter how accustomed we are to it." He glanced behind him, seeing Asami beaming. "And as the guardian of this city, that has to include me." He straightened completely. "Are there any questions?"

A dozen hands went up.

He thought for a moment before motioning to a man on his left. "Yes, sir."

"Do you have any previous experience with construction?"

"Not to this extent, but my mind works a lot like a sponge. Whatever knowledge I need I can absorb in a matter of minutes and retain long enough to get the job done." He pointed at someone else.

"According to President Raiko, the breach out in the Spirit Wilds is no longer operable. Can you confirm this?"

Flash's head tilted to the side. "I wouldn't say 'inoperable,' and if you remember, that isn't the actual word he used. What he meant was that we no longer have to fear any dangers from that breach. The Flash of Earth-One managed to seal every connection between our worlds except for one, and that one's under constant monitor and guard. The chances of anyone or anything dangerous slipping through are…minimal." His eyes scanned the crowd again, and he smiled as he pointed to the next reporter.

"Linda Park, RC Picture News."

"Good to see you again, Ms. Park."

She smiled. "With your new occupation as an extremely overqualified construction worker—"

Laughter rumbled through the crowd.

"—does this mean that you'll have less time for your other more…crime-related duties?"

The Flash's lips pursed. "No. Absolutely not. My mission is the help the people of this city in any way, and that means, first and foremost, keeping people out of harm's way. Rest assured, if I'm needed, I'll be there. No matter what."

Before anyone else could speak up, a massive crack split the air, and smoke started rising from the east as the crowd's attention shifted, murmurs flowing through the people.

"Was that an explosion?"

"Another attack?"

"Where is that smoke coming from?"

The Flash looked toward the source and frowned as his eyes narrowed, then turned back to the crowd. "Everyone just stay calm." He turned back to the east. "I got this."

He was gone in the next second.

…

1 minute later

Central City Station

The moment the Flash arrived, he realized what had happened. Two civilians were rescued from falling rubble, another dozen sped out of the danger zone before he saw the culprit and frowned. He slid to a stop just twelve feet from a red-haired woman, her back to him.

"Bette!" he shouted.

The woman whirled around, her blue eyes wild and unfocused. "Stay back!"

He held his hands up. "Listen to me. I know what Eiling did to you, and I know you don't want to hurt anyone."

"You're wrong," she bit out, glancing around at the fleeing civilians. "But I don't want to hurt _these_ people, and I don't want to hurt you, so just stay out of my way!"

"I can't do that, Bette."

Her lips pursed, conflict in her features as they slowly sharpened. "Then I'm sorry."

She reached into a pocket of her jacket, pulling out several large marbles and squeezing them for a moment, their surfaces glowing and vibrating before she tossed them in his direction. He ran toward a nearby wall, scaling it in a half-second as the marbles detonated, putting a massive crater in the flooring of a train platform. Several more explosive projectiles were thrown at the Flash, but he dodged them all, managing to get any potential collateral damage out of the way before coming to a stop behind cover, out of her sight. When she turned her back to him, moving off toward another section of the station, he sprinted after her, tackling her to the ground.

Bette's right hand smacked his chest hard as pushed him off, her eyes going wide in panic a moment later. "Take it off," she ordered breathlessly.

"What?" he asked, scrambling to his feet.

"Your suit! Take it off, now!" Her features were alight with panic as a violet glow started spreading from his emblem outward.

"Oh frack," Barry sighed as he realized what was happening, sprinting out and into a deserted alleyway as his suit flew off his body, barely outrunning an explosion with a twenty-foot radius.

Looking back at the station, he pursed his lips, running through the place in little more than his boxers, but too fast for anyone to see him. One cursory look at the building was enough to confirm Bette's disappearance, and he came to a stop on a nearby rooftop moments later.

 _Okay…this is a problem._

* * *

AN: Welcome to the heart of Act II. Hope you're still enjoying this story. There's a lot about to happen in the next couple of chapters, both with Barry and Korra, and when they meet again…let's just say it's gonna be a little on the explosive side.

Anyway, not much to say for this chapter, so I'll just ask you to review as you see fit and let me know if there's anything you guys have concerns or confusion about. Oh, almost forgot—ThirteenPrimes, if you noticed, I took your advice. Enough said.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	37. Undaunted

Undaunted (adj.): not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty, danger, or disappointment.

15 minutes later

Flash HQ

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"So this is the new place?" Cisco grinned ear-to-ear as he strode inside the underground bunker. "Kudos for the upgrade, boss."

Asami smiled back, nodding at the dummy mounts in the back. "Could've just had all the suits put in a drawer, since he just keeps them in that ring of his all the time, but…I thought an homage to the original Cisco was in order."

"You damn right," he replied, still grinning as he ran his eyes over the whole setup. Eventually, he turned back to her. "Oh, Caitlin's getting in in the next day or so. After eighteen months of absence, she's a little homesick."

Asami arched an eyebrow. "And Ronnie?"

Cisco turned his lips sideways. "You know, she didn't say."

She hummed distractedly in reply, looking off to the side.

A massive gust of wind blew through the space a second later, and they looked toward its source to see Barry pulling on a set of sweatpants.

Asami and Cisco looked toward him confusedly, the former speaking up. "Um…weren't you tracking down a bomber? What happened?" She arched an eyebrow. "And why are you shirtless?"

He groaned softly, snatching up a discarded tee from his chair. "Ugh, don't ask."

Cisco gave him a look. "Okay, I'm gonna ask. Where's my suit?"

Barry gave him a return look. "Dude, you've been gone for _months_. How is it not my suit?"

"Don't change the subject."

He hesitated a moment. "It's gone."

"What do you mean 'it's gone'? What did you do with my suit?"

"It blew up, dude." He threw his hands up. "I managed to get out of it before it went…kaboom."

Cisco placed his index against his chest, a horrified look crossing his features. "My suit went…kaboom?"

Barry ignored him and snatched up the manila folder Korra had given him. "Got a bit of info on our bomber." He tossed the file onto Cisco's desk. "Bette Sans Souci, red hair, ex-military, and she's a combustion bender, though by using touch, not sight; makes things explode just by touching them."

" _And_ she's pure evil," Cisco added, scowling as he sat down and picked up the folder. "No one blows my tech to smithereens and gets away with it—" he opened the folder, eyes widening comically, "—unless she looks like that."

Asami's eyes rolled as she facepalmed.

"I don't think she meant to hurt me," Barry said. "Or anyone at that station."

Asami looked over at him, arms crossed. "She detonated explosives in the middle of a crowded train station, so you know this how?"

"For one, she told me as much," he replied, "and then when she touched me, she warned me to ditch the suit before it exploded. She looked panicked, like she couldn't control it."

"That explains why she nearly killed _you_ , not why she attacked the station, so until we know more, we treat her like any other criminal."

Cisco's lips pursed. "Yeah, except she isn't. Unless that file is _severely_ out of date, Bette's in the employ of one General Wade Eiling."

"Spirits," Asami sighed, rubbing a hand over her tired eyes, "not this again."

"Oh yeah, which means that if she was in that station, it was probably for a reason, _probably_ on his orders."

Barry's head shook slowly. "I don't know. She seemed a bit too scatterbrained, too…unsure of herself to be on a mission.

"So she could be working under duress?" Asami asked.

"Yeah," Cisco replied emphatically. "Absolutely! I mean…we haven't even met her before today, so it's possible that was the case _all_ those times, even when…" He cast a look at a narrow-eyed Asami, coughing discreetly, then looking away as he fell silent.

"Anyway," Barry interrupted, "we need to find her before she hurts anyone else." He cast Cisco a look. "Coerced or not."

The darker man frowned and turned back to her file.

"And I need to get to the airfield," Asami added. "Got a new model of military-grade biplane I'm having tested and I want to oversee it personally."

Barry zipped over to her side as she made for the exit. "I'll come with you. Keep you company."

She sighed. "Much as I would love that, don't you have better things to do?"

He shrugged. "There's nothing more I can do as far as Bette's concerned, and after my rapid exit at the conference, I think the people'll understand if the construction gig can wait for a bit. Besides," he added with the beginnings of a grin on his face, "I gotta meet this Hal character."

Asami whirled on him, alarm in her eyes, and was about to jab a finger in his chest when Cisco spoke up.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond are stopping by a bit later."

Barry snorted and glanced at him. "Finally coming back from the honeymoon?"

"Dude, get serious," Cisco replied, "even when they're _here_ , they're on honeymoon." He shuddered. "I swear, it's like working with a pair of hormonal teenagers."

Barry gave him a look. "Yeah, you wouldn't know anything _about_ that."

He gave him a deadpan look. "For your information, I had a date last week."

Both snapped over to him, Asami staring in disbelief. "With who?"

Cisco grinned smugly and crossed his arms. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Asami groaned and rolled her eyes, turning back for the door. "Whatever. I'm heading out."

"And I'm coming with," Barry added, still walking with her. "I mean, I didn't even know about this Hal guy until yesterday, but now it seems like I should really get to know him."

Asami sent him a small glare before sighing hard. "Just, whatever you do, don't take him seriously. _He_ doesn't."

Barry chuckled and nodded as the elevator powered up. "Roger that, ma'am."

…

1 hour later

Future Industries Airfield

"I'm going to _kill_ him," Asami hissed through her teeth, completely red-faced as Barry restrained outright laughter. She rose from her chair to storm toward the exit of the control tower and into the hangar that a recently landed biplane had just taxied into, making straight for the grinning pilot, who whooped as he leapt from the pilot's seat.

"Yo boss, did you see that?!"

"Yes," she growled in response. "I saw you recklessly endangering thousands of yuans in investor funds, not to mention my own, all so you could get some insane adrenaline high."

Hal's eyes rolled. "Oh come on, it wasn't _that_ bad. Besides, you know me. I can do those maneuvers in my sleep, no problem."

"Except you didn't know if the plane would actually be able to handle it. It's a _prototype_ for a reason, Hal."

He gave her a serious look. "Well how are you supposed to know what a machine's capable of unless you push its limits? I was just doin' my job."

Her nostrils flared as she crossed her arms and kept glaring at him.

A smirk slowly spread over his features as he got unusually close to her. "Or is there another reason why you're upset?"

Asami purposely looked away from him, upper lip twitching.

"Maybe…you were worried about me."

She shot him a glare. "Why would I be worried about you? You're my employee, not my friend."

He dramatically put a hand to his chest and took a step back. "Asami, you wound me. Oh how short are the memories of women."

"My memory is just fine, Hal. And I remember—" Something occurred to her as she glanced toward the entrance, a look of alarm passing over her face before she abruptly shut up. A hard breath was exhaled as she turned back to Hal. "Just make sure you keep the plane in working order." Asami headed for the exit. "And try not to break anything while you're at it!"

He snapped a sloppy salute as he grinned and turned back to the prototype. "Yes, ma'am!" His brows furrowed in concentration as he set about taking care of a few maintenance quirks, hearing a set of light footsteps behind him and turning with another smartass remark coming to his lips. He stopped when he realized it wasn't Asami, but a tall, auburn-haired man, at least three years younger than him…or so he thought. "Uh…hello?"

He smiled and waved at Hal. "Hey. I'm Barry," he added, outstretching his right hand and shaking his.

"Hal," the pilot replied.

Barry nodded. "I know who you are."

Jordan's brows furrowed for a moment as he looked the lanky kid over. "Wait a minute…don't I know you from somewhere? Yeah, I've seen you here before, kind of at the fringes. You work here?"

He shrugged. "Oh…no, I don't. Just uh…I visit Asami a lot. We hang out, when I'm not at her place."

Hal's eyes widened slightly, one side of his face twitching a bit. "Oh."

Barry's hands went up. "It's not like that. 'Sami…she's like a big sister to me. We live together."

Relief passed over the pilot's features as he carded a hand through his hair. "Oh. Gotcha." A smile twitched at his lips before what Barry had just said occurred to him. "Wait…so…why are you here, talking to me?"

Barry leaned against the plane, hands in his pockets, as he shrugged again. "I dunno. You uh…seem like you're a pretty big part of Asami's life, and I wanted to know more."

Hal snorted. "If you were close enough to hear our conversation just know, I think you'd know that the only part of her life I occupy is the stressful one."

Barry smirked. "Maybe, but she doesn't usually stress over something that doesn't matter to her." He looked over at Hal. "Or someone."

The pilot's lips pressed together as he returned to his maintenance.

"So, what happened between you two exactly? She won't talk to me about it."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best."

Barry's brows furrowed as he leaned over Hal's shoulder, looking at the controls of the plane. "Why?"

Hal sighed hard. "Look, kid. You seem like an okay guy, and the fact that the boss saw fit to call you family is a great bonus, but we just met."

The younger man nodded. "Yeah, I gotcha." Silence reigned for a few moments before Barry spoke up again. "It's just…she's been through a lot, you know?"

Jordan stopped moving.

"The past couple of years have been tough. Losing friends, almost losing me, being isolated."

Hal glanced over at him as they shared a look.

"So…whatever happened with you and her, and whatever that means for you now…just promise me one thing."

He blinked.

"Mean it."

Hal gave him a confused look.

"If you feel…anything for her, if you really care, then just mean it. She needs something constant in her life, someone that's gonna be there no matter what. I like to think I'm one of those people, but the fact is…I don't know if I'm always gonna be around. At least, not in the way she needs."

Jordan looked off to the side, jaw tightening for a moment.

"Just think about it, okay?" Barry gave him a smile, then headed for the door.

Hal watched him leave, huffing and shaking his head at how utterly surreal his day was turning out.

…

The moment Barry exited the hangar, his earpiece went off in his pocket, and he put it on. "I'm here."

"Yo," Cisco said, "we got reports of a break-in out in the industrial district. Hang on…wait a minute, police are being waved off. Guy on the call was panicking though. I don't understand."

Barry's brows furrowed for a moment before his eyes went wide. "Eiling."

"What?"

"It's Eiling. He's diverting the police, doesn't want them involved."

"It's Bette. It has to be."

"My thoughts exactly. Give me the street. I'm on my way."

…

2 minutes later

Industrial District

The building was in sight within minutes, one of several biological research buildings owned by Merlyn Global. Barry zipped to the second floor within seconds, finding the redhead in question looking over a set of documents, her fingers never touching them.

"Ms. Sans Souci?"

She snapped around in alarm, eyes wide and staring at him. A relieved breath left her throat a moment later. "You're alive."

Flash smiled a little. "Yeah. Appreciated the warning, by the way."

Bette blinked rapidly. "Why are you here?"

"I want to help you. I know Eiling's been coercing you into doing his dirty work, but me and my friends? We can help you. Protect you."

Her head shook slowly. "Not from this. Not from me."

Barry's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Before she could answer, a high-speeding dart hit Bette's right arm, and she fell over a second later. Flash's speed of perception increased exponentially as two windows burst open and small canisters of flammable materials fell inside. His arms went around the unconscious woman's body as they started to explode, sending blinding flashes of light in all directions. By the time a dozen soldiers flooded the room, they were already gone.

…

2 hours later

Bette groaned softly as she regained consciousness, blinking a few times as she observed her surroundings.

"Welcome back," said a jovial voice somewhere behind her.

Bette turned to see four people looking at her, three in concern, one with a grin on his face. "Uh…hi?"

The dark-haired woman on her left gave her a concentrated frown. "Do you know who I am?"

She blinked slowly to clear away the fog in her vision. "Asami Sato." A sharp breath was inhaled. "Wait—I was hit with a dart. Eiling—"

"Eiling's not here," said a voice behind her, prompting her to turn and see the Flash standing behind her. "You're safe, Bette."

Bette tucked her arms against her chest. "But you're not. No one is while I'm around."

"Why?" Flash asked, getting closer.

She held up her hands. "You already know why. You almost died finding out."

"You can't control it, can you?" Cisco asked.

She looked over at him. "No. Not since…"

Flash's head tilted slightly. "Since what?"

Bette shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe two, three years ago?"

Flash looked over at Asami. She returned his look.

"What?" Bette asked them.

Asami turned to the other dark-haired woman in the room and the man standing on her left. "Caitlin, Ronnie."

The woman shrugged a little. "We have a…semi-working theory on why all the metahumans started popping up. Originally, we'd assumed that they were creations of the Reverse-Flash with some mad science. But the fact is, we've run into metas with bending and other abilities beyond anything of the norm that couldn't _possibly_ have met him."

"Like Blackout," Flash ventured. "He said he didn't see the Reverse-Flash after that night nine years ago."

"So his enhanced bending _couldn't_ have been a result of Thawne's manipulations," Ronnie added. " _We_ think that metahumans were created by Harmonic Convergence."

"You," Asami added, "and other people like you, were affected by the massive energy projected between the spirit and human worlds that night. I think that's why your combustive abilities are so strong."

Bette stared at her hands blankly for a moment. "So…the other metahumans…I'm guessing you've dealt with a lot of them."

Cisco snickered. "Just a few…but no one that looks like you."

The Flash vainly restrained a grin as he facepalmed and the rest of the room rolled their eyes.

"I'm sorry, _that_ was inappropriate."

Bette just stared at him quizzically.

His grin faded completely to near-panic. "Please don't leave."

Caitlin turned in her seat, lips pursed tightly. "I know how to perform a lobotomy."

Cisco's eyes widened comically.

"Anyway," Asami interrupted, "in order to help you, we're gonna need to know how your abilities work." She glanced at Caitlin. "I'd like Dr. Raymond to run some tests, find out the extent of your combustive power."

Bette nodded slowly. "Okay. I just…" She patted herself down, sighing in relief as she pulled out a syringe from her jacket pocket.

"Whoa," Caitlin interrupted as she saw Bette about to inject herself, "what is that?"

She held it up. "Eiling gave me this when he found out what I could do, told me it would stabilize my condition, keep it from getting worse."

"Worse than blowing up everything you touch?" Ronnie asked. "I don't want to know what that looks like."

"Me neither," Bette replied, thumbing the plunger and injecting half the syringe's contents. She hissed as the needle exited her skin. "That should hold me for another couple of hours at least."

Realization passed over the Flash's masked features. "That's why you were in that biotech research place. You were trying to get more."

Bette nodded slowly, then stood and planted her feet on the ground. "So…where are we doing this?"

…

2 hours later

"So just pick up the disc and throw it, far as you can."

Bette nodded and complied as Cisco handed her the device in question, throwing it with all of her strength as it started glowing violet and watching as it detonated midair.

Cisco whooped and grinned gleefully, Bette arching an eyebrow at his incredibly cheery attitude. "What?" he asked.

She blinked hard. "Nothing. It's just…no one's ever looked at my abilities that way. Not even my fellow soldiers."

His smile faded. "So…you _were_ working for Eiling all this time."

Bette nodded slowly. "He said…that the only way I'd keep getting the injections was to become part of his special unit. So I did." She winced, face twisting in shame as her head shook.

"Hey," Cisco said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped, snapping her head to him in fear.

He didn't let go, and nothing happened. "We're gonna find a way to help you. I promise."

Her left eyebrow arched. "Why are you doing this?"

Cisco shrugged. "It's my job. It's what I do."

Bette smirked. "Sure it's not just because you think I'm hot?"

His face went beet-red. "Well, um…I…you know…maybe—"

Her shoulder shook with silent laughter as she reared back and let it out. When she was relatively calm again, she grinned in his direction and chuckled softly. "Thank you, Cisco. I haven't…I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

He took a breath and grinned at her. "Anytime."

They both turned toward the setting sun, staring off into the horizon.

"So," he said suddenly, "you're gonna need a codename."

"A what?"

He shrugged. "It's what we do with metas. The Flash, Blackout…Firestorm." Cisco looked over at her. "Any ideas?"

Bette thought for a moment, staring at the ground. "Well…before Harmonic Convergence, before this happened to me, I was working with an experimental—and volatile—new explosive. It was meant to be a new demolition charge for the military, and I was one of the first to give it a test run. Because it was composed of a…moldable, clay-like explosive, they called it…plastique."

A grin slowly spread over Cisco's face as he chewed the name over. "I like it. It's got an elegance to it."

Bette smiled a little, looking back toward the horizon. "Thank you."

Both of them were so absorbed in the moment that neither noticed how close they'd become—or the fact that Bette was holding his hand.

…

2 days later

Three dozen sweaty construction workers wiped sweat off their brows and straightened up suddenly when a red streak zipped past, sending a strong breeze flowing over them. Two men closest to the streak's final destination watched as his blurred left arm repeatedly hammered a railway spike into the foundations of the new track. His right arm lifted out to the side and rotated at super-speed, creating a wind funnel and an air current that served as a powerful cooling mechanism for the entire line of overheated workers.

Sending him a few thankful laughs and whoops, they got back to work with double vigor as he kept moving from one section to the other, double and triple-checking both his work and everyone else's. In the past two days alone, over two miles of track had been laid down thanks to the Flash, nearly connecting Republic City to the line coming from Ba Sing Se's side. The problem was, there was an unfortunate natural barrier between the two ends, and that was proving to be quite the difficulty. A gigantic mountain range had been the single greatest obstacle in this project ever since a rockslide caused by metahuman attack blocked off the original groundward path.

The fact that they had to account for an entirely new elevation because of it meant more work, more costs, and more manpower. Fortunately, the Flash had all three of these covered, but it was slowing things down all the same. It'd be better if the mountain were out of the way entirely, but that would've taken far more time and resources than the city could spare, and the rockslide had done more than topple a few boulders. It had completely changed the surface of the mountain range and eliminated an entire valley's worth of level space. Caravans coming in from the north now had to either go around for miles or traverse the treacherous mountain pass to get into the city.

It annoyed the president to no end, but the chief had assured him that the monorail would get done in time for the coronation, despite the fact that there were only four days left. Given this, the Flash had been working round-the-clock for seven to eight-hour days, and it was glorious. Working with ordinary people, making a difference in small ways (anything from being a portable AC to getting takeout for the crew), it was all giving him a profound and incomparable sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Oliver had been right, as usual. In the meantime, Bette had been learning little by little how to control her powers.

Based off the tech they used to separate Firestorm, Caitlin and Cisco had designed a pair of gloves that were incombustible, allowing her to touch and manipulate things without fear of ignition. Despite all this, she had descended further and further into a crushing depression, falling silent for hours on end, or so Barry was told, and overall making the team nervous about the mental state of their charge. Caitlin had been working around-the-clock trying to figure out what was wrong with her, but so far had come up empty, and Bette's injections were running out. If they didn't find a breakthrough soon, she feared a cataclysmic shift in the meta's physiology was imminent.

Mid-way between hammering in three railway spikes at once, he heard a voice from behind and stopped for half a second, turning back to his work a moment later.

"Hey, you got a minute?"

"Sort of," he replied, tongue sticking out partway as he kept hammering.

Lin sighed hard. "Flash, we need to talk, in private, right now."

He stopped instantly. It was always serious whenever she used that tone. A few seconds later, they were sitting on a landing of a nearby mountain range, Barry peeling open a bag containing three lunches and downing the first in a half-second before slowing down to enjoy it.

"So," he said through half a mouthful of bread, "what's so important?"

Lin pursed her lips. "It's about coronation day. I'm concerned."

He arched an eyebrow. "About?"

She looked over at him. "Kuvira. Over the last two and a half years, she's steadily gained more and more support, both from the people of the Earth Kingdom and the world at large. I know how much appeal power can have, and after Suyin told me about how driven she was to get the Earth Kingdom back into shape…"

Barry gave her a look. "What?"

Lin sighed. "I'm afraid of what will happen…if she decides _not_ to hand over the reins to Prince Wu."

"For one," he said through another mouthful, "there'd be some pretty public outrage."

"Maybe from the ruling classes, but in many ways, common folk see her as a hero of the people." She frowned. "Much the same way that they used to view the Avatar." Her eyes glanced over at him. "And you."

Barry frowned and looked off into the distance, shrugging. "Whatever she decides, Kuvira made a promise, both to the Earth Kingdom and the world, to be a steward, not a monarch. If she goes back on her word, don't you at least think people will start to doubt?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Fear makes people do stupid things, and after everything the Earth Kingdom's suffered through, having a strong, capable leader instead of an inexperienced pup might just trump any concerns of sincerity."

"But she can't just do that without consequences. I mean…can she?"

"Oh, of course not. I'm just saying that those consequences might just shift the balance in her favor."

Barry's lips pursed. "Look, I get what you're saying, but…" he waved at the unfinished track, "being here, working with these guys—I've learned a lot about how people think, how they act. The working class is worried about stability, sure, but they also know their values. Principle is what guides much of their actions, and you gotta have faith that the Earth Kingdom will do the same if and when the time comes."

Lin snorted. "Maybe you're right. Hell, you probably are. Fact is, I'm not exactly the best person to ask when it comes to understanding people. The side of humanity I always tangle with isn't the sort you want to 'hang out' with. Maybe that's made me jaded, but it's also made me cautious, and discretion is the better part of valor."

Barry smirked. "Too true. Bottom line, I don't think you have to worry so much." He shrugged. "I'm not, or at least I'm trying not to." He stood up slowly, stretching. "A little faith goes a long way, boss. You believe in me." He nodded at the people below. "I believe in them."

The chief took a deep breath and nodded slowly as she joined him. "Fair enough. Anyway, you're on the clock. Should let you get back to work."

"Want me to run you back to the station?"

"No, I've got it. Besides, I can't very well leave a squad car in the middle of nowhere."

He chuckled. "Fair enough."

…

3 hours later

Flash HQ

Bette frowned as she looked into the contents of a brown wooden box, Cisco joining her in worry.

"After this shot, I'm out."

Cisco gave her a reassuring look. "We'll figure something out, Bette. I promise."

"Caitlin's been working on reverse-engineering the serum for _days_ , Cisco. I can't wait any longer."

Panic lanced through Cisco as she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. "Bette, wait!" He grabbed her arm. "You can't just go back to him. He'll _kill_ you."

Fire flashed in her eyes as she turned to face him. "I don't _intend_ to go back to him. Not as a soldier, anyway." Regret twitched at her features for a moment. "I'm sorry, Cisco."

Cisco's eyes went wide, but before he could make any more protests, a hard metal object impacted the side of his head. He distantly felt the press of the concrete floor against his skin as darkness took him.

…

Dr. Caitlin Raymond stepped through the side entrance of the hideout hand-in-hand with her husband, a folder in her other hand. Both of them stopped smiling the instant they saw Cisco's unconscious form.

"Cisco!" Ronnie shouted, rushing to his side as Caitlin took his vitals. "Cate?"

"He's all right, just out cold." She rushed over to the engineer's desk and pulled a small bag from his drawer, then took out a round object and broke it in half.

Ronnie gave her a sideways look. "Is that a—"

"It's his grandmother's recipe," she interrupted, waving the broken pieces of a cookie under Cisco's nose."

It took barely a second for him to instantly sit upright. "Bette!" His head snapped in one direction after the next as he scrambled upright.

"Cisco, _Cisco_!" Caitlin grabbed his arms and steadied him. "What are you talking about? What's wrong?"

He took a few rapid, panicked breaths. "It's Bette. She's gone, Cate." He glanced back at Ronnie. "She's going after Eiling and that serum."

The married couple exchanged a horrified look.

"Yeah, I know. It's bad."

Ronnie's head shook slowly. "A lot worse than you think. We need to get Asami and the Flash here, right now. Gotta find a way to track her down before she does anything."

Cisco gave him a look. "Why?"

"Because," Caitlin answered as she pushed a folder into Cisco's hands, "that serum isn't saving her life. It's killing her."

…

10 minutes later

"Cisco, please tell me you've got something."

The engineer's lips pursed hard as he glared at a bench with narrow eyes. His head shook slowly. "There's nothing here. Nothing that she held long enough for this to work."

"Explain how this happens again?"

Caitlin turned to Barry as Cisco kept working. "Ever since you jumped through that portal, Cisco's been getting these…visions. Like, where something's been, who it's been in contact with. But it only works if they've held or been around it long enough to impart some of their energy, life force."

"So…he's an energy bender," Barry ventured.

"On a _massive_ scale we've never seen before," Asami answered. "He can trace the energy of a person for _miles_ , depending on how much they've imparted on the object in question." She waved at Barry. "It's…at least partially how he knew you were still alive."

Barry frowned and glanced around. "Okay, what…what's something she always carried on her, something she no longer needed?"

Cisco blinked as realization shone on his features. "Or could no longer use."

They gave him a look as he moved with purpose, picking up a wooden box.

"The syringes, of course!" Cate exclaimed.

"Or just the box," Cisco replied quietly. "Just give me a second." His eyes closed for a few moments as he took a deep breath, hands closed over the brown box. They snapped open a moment later, glowing white and staring off into the distance, mouth slightly agape. A few seconds passed before the glows from his eyes and hands died down, and he blinked multiple times before shaking his head to clear it. He laid down the box and stumbled over to a nearby map of the city. "Okay, I can't exactly pinpoint her location, but based on the landmarks I caught a glimpse of, I'd say she's somewhere in the far north of the city, on the outskirts."

"Near the tracks maybe?" Barry asked.

Cisco blinked a few times, shrugging. "Yeah, maybe."

Barry slapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, buddy. I'll take it from here." He glanced at Ronnie as he made for the exit. "Any chance your other half's close by? If she's confronting Eiling, this could get messy."

"I called him as soon as we found out Bette was gone," Ronnie replied. "He should be here right about—"

"Now," the portly spirit finished as he stepped off the elevator. "I'm aware of the situation. Ronald filled me in over the phone."

The young man cringed and gave him a look. "Would you _please_ stop calling me that?"

Martin gave him a look. "It's been eighteen months, Mr. Raymond. I would've thought you'd be used to it by now."

Ronnie just rolled his eyes and walked away.

"Now if we're done chattering, let's get down to business. Do we know where Ms. Sans Souci is at present?"

"Got a pretty good idea," Barry replied, "but we'll need to search this general area." He waved his hand over the northern section of the city closest to the tracks. "And fast. According to Cisco, she's going after the general, and it's been more than long enough for her to find him."

"Understood." Martin turned to his younger counterpart. "Once more into the fray, dear friend?"

Ronnie exhaled hard and placed a newer model splicer on his chest, then extended his hand to Martin, who took it without hesitation. The pair melded together in seconds, a blinding flash of light filling the room for barely a moment before Firestorm was formed, white eyes turning toward Barry. They exchanged a nod before moving for the secret exit.

"Please save Bette," Cisco pleaded as they flew out.

…

5 minutes later

Three trucks bearing the insignia of the United Forces pulled to a stop behind a slight red-haired woman, her eyes staring off into the western horizon and admiring the setting sun. Her heart was anything but peaceful, though, and it showed the moment she turned around to glare at a white-haired man flanked by four firebenders.

"I'm ready to give myself up," she shouted over the wind.

Eiling smirked. "Oh, I highly doubt that." He waved to two of the firebenders, who slowly started to approach. "You think you can pull one over on me? You _can't_."He nodded to her. "Stand down, soldier."

Her eyes narrowed. "I was never your soldier, Eiling. I was your puppet."

He shrugged, taking a step toward her. "Perhaps. But can you blame me?" He waved toward the north. "Bandits, raiders, metahumans, maybe even another nation—they're all plotting to destroy our country. To end our lives. To stop threats like that, we need to be able to answer in kind, or brave men and women will die." He pointed at her. "But they don't have to. Because of you, we could have victory."

Bette's jaw tightened as she slowly drew her hands from her pockets, both curled into fists. "All I've ever wanted to do was make the world a safer place." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And it will be—when _you're_ not in it!"

Before anyone could react, she threw the contents of her hands in a wide arc in front of her, several dozen marbles that exploded on impact with the ground. Soldiers and vehicles alike were thrown topsy-turvy with the sheer explosive force of her attack, and she started moving toward a prone Eiling with measured steps.

"You made me into a weapon, General. A _thing_. You blackmailed and coerced me into submission." Bette snarled. "And not just me." She drew within six feet, glaring down at him. "You deserve to feel their pain, just once before you die." Her hand stretched out as she approached him slowly, the general shuffling away as fast as he could until his back was pressed against one of the vehicles.

Suddenly, a flash of red and gold flew through her vision and came to a stop between her and the general. The Flash stood in front of her, one hand held out to stop her.

Panic flashed in Bette's features as she glanced from him to Eiling. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Listen to me, Bette. You're making a mistake."

She snarled. "You know what he's done, what he plans to do. You know how many people he's hurt, and still you protect him? He _deserves_ it!"

"Maybe," the Flash conceded, "but not like this. You don't have to kill him."

"Yes, I do." She waved to him and his troops. "Look around you, Flash. Eiling? He's _untouchable_ , been given a stamp of approval and unlimited reach! You think you can bring him down playing by the _rules_?!"

"Yeah. I do." Flash drew a step closer to her. "And we have to, or we're no better than he is."

Her head shook slowly. "You don't understand. He is the only one who knows what's happening to me, the only one who can keep me from getting worse. If I don't kill him and get those injections, I'm dead!"

"Wrong," Flash replied softly but firmly.

Bette stared at him confusedly.

"We ran some tests on your blood and exactly what they do to it. Bette, those drugs were created as an experimental chi enhancer, a military stimulant meant to increase bending power. But it worked a little too well, so it causes the bending of anyone injected to go haywire."

Her eyes went wide as realization struck her.

"Eiling's injections aren't stabilizing your condition, Bette. They're _creating_ it. He's been playing you this whole time." Flash lifted a hand in the prone general's direction. "All you have to do is walk away…and he has no more power over you."

The red-haired woman shifted her vision to Eiling's prone form, nostrils flaring in anger as her hands clenched into fists.

"Listen to me."

Her eyes snapped back to him.

The Flash's lips pursed. "I know what he made you do, how he used you to hurt people. I _know_ what you're feeling right now. The rage, the hate, the thirst for vengeance." His head shook slowly. "But you're not a murderer, Bette." He nodded at Eiling. "Don't let _him_ make you into one."

Bette's eyelids fluttered a few times as she took a deep breath, closing briefly as she let it out, then opening as her lips twitched upward and hands loosened. "Thank you." She glanced behind him and let her eyes widen in panic as Eiling drew something from his pocket. "Look out!"

She shoved him to the side as the general swung his arm and threw something. A sharp pain lanced through her chest as she looked down to see a large, hollow dart imbedded in her sternum. Her eyes widened as she stared into the attached vial, panic filling her as she saw its contents emptied into her bloodstream.

…

Barry snarled and zipped over to beat Eiling senseless, moving back to Bette a moment later as the firebenders started to wake up. Briefly looking from them to the panicking woman, relief struck him when a massive blast of flame separated the rogue soldiers from the two metahumans. Barry sent Firestorm a wave of gratitude as he slowly lowered Bette to the ground. His ice-blue eyes widened in shock when her skin started to glow violet.

He tapped his earpiece. "Cisco, I found Bette."

"Is she okay?"

His lips pursed as he removed the dart, inspecting its label. "No," he said shakily. "Eiling hit her with something. A dose of the serum at least five times the concentration of her usual hit." His lips pursed as her breathing became erratic. "And she's glowing."

"Spirits," Caitlin whispered in horror, "a mass that size, the explosion would be—"

"Devastating," Asami finished.

"Barry," Cate continued, "you need to get her away from the city!"

"But I can't just leave her to die!"

"And I can't let everyone else," Bette whispered brokenly, looking up at him. "No one else is getting hurt because of me."

Barry stared at her with tight lips as his mind raced. His features shifted a moment later as an idea struck him. "What if we siphon it off? Caitlin, you said that serum enhances chi energy, so what if we get her to burn some?"

"Theoretically, it _could_ stabilize her, but the amount of devastation it would cause…there isn't a place in the city you could go without killing someone."

He smirked. "Then we go _outside_ the city. I think I know the perfect target."

"What did you have in mind?" Asami asked worriedly.

Barry grinned outright. "How about a mountain?" Silence reigned over the link for a moment. "I take out the huge eyesore blocking the path of the new rail line, and Bette gets to live. Kill two birds with one stone."

"It's worth a shot," Cisco insisted vehemently.

Barry looked down at Bette for her consent, and she nodded slightly.

"Do it," she said softly.

He picked her up in a cradle carry, turning toward the north. "Now, I'm gonna run around that thing. When I tell you, you reach out and touch the side of the mountain, for as long as you can. Expend enough energy, and that serum will burn itself out."

"You have to outrun the blast," Cisco insisted. "Or you'll both die."

"Understood," Barry replied. "You ready?"

She nodded, careful not to touch him.

He looked out at the mountain, taking and releasing a deep breath. He was gone a moment later, speeding across the plains at a massive velocity, thanking what powers there were that the construction crews had gone for the day. As they approached the mountainside, he recalled the original plans for the railway and angled himself toward the preferred demolition spot.

"Now!"

Plastique reached out with both hands, brushing them against the smoother portions of the rock and causing a violet ring to form around the edge of the mountain as the Flash circled it twice. On the second revolution, the glow intensified to a fever pitch, and Barry glanced at his passenger to see that it had left her entirely. He broke off, back toward the city, and sprinted like his life depended on it. A moment later, the mountain cracked in half, its lower section erupting like a storm and causing a massive collapse that leveled a good portion of its mass.

Chunks of rock and other debris followed the metahumans as far as a mile back toward the city, but none of them came close to hitting them thanks to Barry's quick navigation. Moments later, they came to a stop and he set her down, Bette managing to gain her footing rather shakily but flashing him a reassuring smile. They both looked back, Flash whistling through his teeth at the crater where the mountain used to be.

"You ever thought of getting into professional demolition?" he asked her flippantly.

Bette just doubled over and laughed in relief, catching her breath after a few moments. Her smile slowly faded. "You know he's gonna get away with this, right? Eiling always gets away with it." She shifted. "Much as I'm glad you stopped me from killing him…it just feels like we took a step backward."

The Flash approached and put his hands on her arms. "You're wrong. I have a plan. He _is_ going to pay, but it's gotta be done the right way, or we're no better than him. Worse, he'd be _right_ to fear people like us."

She gave him a long look as sirens were heard approaching them. "Okay…I'm trusting you here."

He smiled. "You won't regret it."

…

3 hours later

City Hall

A uniformed officer strode through the gilded halls of City Hall, making his way to the president's office with an annoyed air. He opened the door and stepped through, closing it behind him as he turned toward the desk of the man in question. The president's chair was turned toward the window, his figure invisible behind its large back. General Wade Eiling stopped about eight feet from his desk, standing at parade rest.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"No," replied a familiar voice. The chair made a 180 degree turn, revealing the Flash in Raiko's seat. "I did."

Eiling sighed hard and rolled his eyes as the Flash climbed to his feet. "What do you want?"

"You, on trial for everything you've done."

"Not gonna happen," he said flatly. "You already know that. Been trying to take me to task for _years_ without success, Flash, and every time, you've failed."

"But things are different now," the speedster insisted, pacing the room. "I have proof." He slapped a manila folder down on Raiko's desk.

Eiling tabbed it open and suppressed a smirk at what he saw. "Proof? Proof of what? That I have a talented metahuman solider in my employ?"

"By force, by coercion. Add the effects of that chi-enhancing serum to the mix and evidence of regular injections, and we've got proof that you were creating a dependency to leverage her to work for you."

He shrugged. "Circumstantial. There's nothing to indicate that we knew the damage being caused by the serum."

Flash smirked and got up in Eiling's face. "There's the testimony of one Bette Sans Souci."

Surprise flashed in the general's features.

"Yeah, that's right. I managed to save her from blowing up due to injections _you_ gave her."

"She threatened my life. It was self-defense." Eiling smirked and got right back up in Barry's face. "And some witness _she_ is. Really, Flash, who do you think people are going to believe?" He stepped back and crossed his arms smugly. "The terrorist who blew up Central City Station, or a respected general of the United Forces?"

Barry's jaw tightened, upper lip twitching as anger flashed in his features. He approached Eiling again, jabbing a finger in his face. "I _know_ you're guilty. You're responsible for kidnappings, bombings, assassinations. You removed convicted metahuman criminals from lawful police custody, transporting them to an _illegal_ military blacksite, and then you _experimented_ on them without consent. You robbed them of their basic human rights, as _citizens_ of the United Republic."

"Yes," Eiling said flat-out, smiling smugly. "But for all your accusations, you'll never find anything to prove _any_ of it. Trust me, I was thorough."

Barry's nostrils flared.

Eiling paced around him. "It eats at you, doesn't it? How utterly helpless you are against me. For all your power, you're just an idealistic boy playing at being a man, unable or unwilling to do what's necessary." He came to a stop in front of the Flash, the speedster looking down and away. "See, the one thing that makes you a hero also makes you second best." He jabbed a finger into Barry's chest. "And you _like_ being a hero, don't you?"

The Flash glared at him.

Eiling smirked. "You like it _so_ much that you're willing to sacrifice victory for the approval of the crowds. See, that? That's why I'm the better man. Because there is no barrier I won't climb, no line I won't cross to defend my nation. And that is why you will _always_ lose." He leaned down into Barry's face, staring him down. "So tell me, _hero_ …" he smiled malevolently, "how does that make you feel?"

The Flash's eyes narrowed as he stepped away slowly, jaw tightening briefly. "Pretty good, actually."

Eiling blinked hard, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

Barry smirked dangerously. "See, I don't need to _prove_ anything." He reached into his pocket and clicked a remote, the shutters of several windows retracting and revealing dozens of metal-clad figures on the other side. "Because you just _confessed_ to a building full of cops."

Eiling's eyes and jaw went wide as he glanced around rapidly.

"Oh, and the entire city too."

Wade snapped back to him, tracing his pointing finger to a camera hanging on the side of a pillar.

The Flash grinned outright. "Smile, Wade. You're on TV."

The doors opened and police flooded the room, led by one very sour-faced Chief Lin Beifong. Two cops immediately cuffed Eiling, but he started struggling almost immediately.

"You can't do this!" he shouted.

Flash picked at his nails and shrugged. "Think I just did."

"No!" Eiling managed to grind to a stop. "You can't. Because I know your secret, _Flash_."

Barry looked back to him, catching Lin's sudden tension in the corner of his eye as he approached the general.

Eiling smiled. "I can expose your identity to the whole world. Right here, right now."

The Flash stared at him for a few moments, expression neutral, eyes flickering from one of his to the other. A few seconds later, he shrugged. "And?"

Wade blinked hard in confusion.

"I became the Flash because I wanted to be like the Avatar, to help people as a hero, and not just some guy on the sidelines." He stroked his chin and shrugged, looking up thoughtfully. "So, the way I see it, she's my template, my ideal." He turned his gaze back to Eiling. "And if the Avatar can operate in a world that knows her identity…" he approached the general, "I have to be willing to do the same." He shrugged again. "So go ahead, General. Tell the whole world if you want." His jaw and posture set as he crossed his arms. "Because I am never letting fear dictate my actions ever again."

His backup plan dismantled, Eiling stared at him in shock.

"Get him out of here," Lin ordered the police.

Eiling went without a fight.

…

5 minutes later

Flash HQ

"Dude," Cisco laughed as the Flash sped into the Cortex, "that was hardcore, man."

Flash gave him a high-five as Caitlin turned to him with a smile.

"He's right," she said. "That was one hell of a bluff."

Barry came to a stop, shrugging slightly as he faced his team, mask off. "I wasn't bluffing."

A stunned silence fell over the room.

"If I'm afraid to stand up to thugs like Eiling just because they might expose me, then what am I doing here? Doesn't mean I'll stop wearing the mask if people do find out." He grinned and motioned to his face. "I mean, I gotta protect this handsome mug somehow."

Cisco, Asami, and Ronnie erupted into laughter, the rest just giving him approving smiles. Asami was beaming at him as she pulled a large envelope off her desk and marched over to him.

"Bear, I don't think I've ever been more proud of you." Asami shifted in place just an arm's length away from him. "Which is why I think it's entirely appropriate to give this to you now."

He gave her a curious look, the smile not dropping from his features as he took the envelope. His eyebrows furrowed as he tore its top open and pulled out a set of legal papers. His ice-blue eyes scanned the text for a few moments before widening as he reached the end, jaw dropping. He looked back to Asami in shock, finding a nervous smile on her face.

"I thought," she said as she shifted again, "since, you know, we're always saying it…that we might as well make it official." She smiled wider. "So what do you think? Late birthday present?"

Barry stared at the papers for a few more moments, the corners of his lips slowly pulling as far apart as possible as liquid spilled from his eyes. He turned back to Asami, instantly enveloping her in a crushing embrace. "Absofreakinlutely. The best ever."

"Happy late birthday, Barry."

They held each other for a long time, the papers abandoned and forgotten for the time being as the rest of the team took a look. Every jaw dropped except Martin's when they read it: an official, legal record of adoption of Barry Allen, brother, into the family of Asami Sato, sister.

* * *

AN: I survived! Winter break has begun! And it's going to last for a while, so I'd really like to write a lot more. I made it through my first quarter, and it's glorious. At any rate, here's another long chapter (sorry). Thought it best we take care of Eiling and a few more things before getting into the meat of Book Four. I'm considering shifting to Korra's point of view for the next chapter, document some of her training with Toph. We'll see how I feel when I get into it.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, especially how it ended, and are looking forward to more. Things are gonna start heating up considerably once Kuvira makes her move, so get ready for one hell of a ride.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	38. Resisting

Resisting (adj.): in a state of resistance, either to internal or external change—or both.

3 hours later

Police HQ, Republic City

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Blue orbs eyed a short, dark-haired man as he sat down on the other side of a steel table, looking away after a few seconds, unable to meet his gaze. To the surprise of the woman sitting handcuffed at one end of the table, he smiled at her.

"So, I guess everything turned out okay in the end, huh?"

She glanced up, looking away again almost instantly.

"I mean…for a second, I had my doubts, but—" he shrugged, "—you know the Flash." He grinned. "He always delivers."

Bette slowly dragged her eyes up to his smile, feeling guilt nagging at her. "I'm sorry I clocked you in the head," she said softly.

Cisco just grinned and shrugged. "You know, it wouldn't be the first time that's been done to me by a beautiful woman." He pressed his lips together and cringed. "Yeah, still inappropriate."

Bette smirked. "I don't mind." She waved at her surroundings. "How can I? I mean…thanks to you, I'm still alive, and…free."

Cisco stared at the cuffs. "Gonna have to work on your definition of free."

"Free to make my own choices, I mean. And that's what really matters."

He nodded slowly in agreement, shrugging. "Well, the Flash did most of the legwork."

She smiled. "Maybe, but the Flash didn't hold my hand and tell me everything was going to be okay. He didn't help me through day after day of despair." Bette finally managed to look him in the eye. "You helped me believe that I was more than just a human bomb, that I could still be a person after everything I've done." Her gloved hands held one of his. "You're a real hero, Cisco."

His face turned progressively redder as the seconds passed, until he cleared his throat and straightened up.

Bette just smirked. "So, how'd he pull it off, anyway? Getting Eiling, I mean."

"Oh, now _that_ was a stroke of brilliance. Took some convincing to get Raiko to lure Eiling to his office, but based on what we showed him about you and some other operations the general conducted, he realized that giving Eiling the Fifth Freedom was a mistake. The rest was just a matter of preparation and wiring." He smirked. "I helped."

Bette chuckled. "'Course you did."

Silence reigned over the room for a few moments before Cisco took a deep breath. "So, I have some bad news and some very good news. Which do you want first?"

"The bad, of course." She smirked. "Long as that news _is_ very good."

Cisco grinned. " _Very_ good." His throat cleared. "So, um…it isn't set in stone, but…despite the fact that your actions for the last three years have been almost entirely under duress…you hurt a lot of people, Bette, so prison time is on the horizon, non-negotiable."

She winced and looked down.

"The good news is, based on the evidence and testimony you've leveled against Eiling, plus his own confession to corroborate it all—and the fact that you _were_ under duress—the judge that's been overseeing your case has already said that you'll be put in low-security."

Bette looked up in shock.

Cisco grinned. "For as little as four months. Nine, tops."

Her jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. Despite all the damage you caused, you've never killed anyone…not even Eiling."

"Cisco—" She lost her ability to speak as tears filled her eyes and laughter bubbled in her chest.

He laughed with her, loudly, uninhibited, as he gripped her hands. When they had calmed enough to speak again, they locked eyes and held gazes for a while.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Bette," he assured her. "I promise."

She smiled. "I'll take it. You make good on your promises."

…

General Wade Eiling sat with his back against one wall of his eight-by-six cell, seething in anger and staring at a far wall.

"Shame you couldn't bribe them to bring some of your scotch."

The general's head snapped over to the darkness outside his cell, eyes scanning the shadows but finding nothing. A few moments later, a figure clad all in black stepped forward, a hood and mask covering the entirety of his features except for his eyes.

The figure nodded to Eiling. "You look like you could use a drink."

Eiling's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"I'm known by many names." He began to pace around his cell, hands clasped behind his back. "Terrorist, assassin, the Dark Archer." He stopped and turned his head to face Eiling. "But you may call me _Al Sa-Her_ , or the Magician, if you so desire."

Wade stared at him. "What do you want?"

"To help you." _Al Sa-Her_ began to pace again. "It's come to the attention of my benefactor that you have a very particular set of skills, specifically when it comes to studying and understanding metahumans." He glanced at the general. "We need someone of those skills."

"Why?"

"For the same reason why you broke all the rules to understand metahuman physiology. To defend our nation from all threats, foreign and domestic."

"And what nation is that?"

 _Al Sa-Her_ came to a stop, facing away from Eiling. He turned his head to look back over his shoulder. "Accept my offer and you'll find out."

Eiling's eyes narrowed. "How am I supposed to help you? I'm stuck in this cell for the next forty years at _least_."

 _Al Sa-Her_ chuckled darkly. "My dear general…do you know why they call me the Magician?"

A pause. "No."

"Take a guess."

Eiling took a deep breath, jaw working as he thought hard about the offer.

"Accept my offer, and I can guarantee you both your freedom…and the chance to take vengeance on the Flash and everyone that's put you in here."

The general looked up, fire flashing in his eyes.

"Thought that might grab your attention." He turned to face Eiling fully. "So what do you say, General?"

Eiling's jaw worked as he took another moment. "I'm in."

"Excellent." _Al Sa-Her_ made back toward the shadows.

"Wait!" the general shouted, grabbing the bars. "Where are you going?"

He paused and turned back. "To make preparations. Breaking you from this place will take time, preparation, and most importantly, distraction. The authorities cannot know you're gone until we've escaped the city."

Eiling exhaled a relieved breath. "Got it. I understand."

"Don't worry, General. We will take good care of you." Fire flashed in his eyes. "But make no mistake. If you at any point begin to favor your personal vendetta over the well-being of my benefactor…we _will_ meet again, under _far_ less pleasant circumstances."

Eiling paled slightly at the deadly tone of his voice, gulping and nodding slowly.

"Just sit tight." He turned away and made for the exit. "All you have to do now is wait."

…

4 days later

"Okay, bring it!"

Avatar Korra smirked and lowered her shoulder, then leapt into action as several arcs of high-force air blasted through the space between her and the blind crone facing off against her. A water stream was yanked from the bed of the swamp when her opponent dodged everything without even twitching a muscle, the mud of the swamp enough to keep her out of harm's way. A wall of said mud slammed into her chest a moment later, and she was sent flying into a pile of some more. A clump of muddy grass smacked directly into her face, much to her displeasure, and she sent a glare at the approaching woman as a frog squirrel landed on her shoulder.

"Tell me what you did wrong."

Korra peeled the animal off her shoulder. "Well, I was thinking that you were gonna—"

"Exactly!" she interrupted. "You were _thinking_!" A moment's pause before she turned and walked away. "Go again."

Arcs and bolts of every element at her disposal were bent and thrown with abandon as she leveled everything against her opponent. Once again, nothing landed, and she effortlessly countered with another muddy attack. Korra landed unceremoniously in a puddle some distance away, groaning as she turned herself face-up and stared into the canopy of trees overhead.

"Pathetic," the old woman spat as Korra slowly regained her footing. "Of all the Avatars I've worked with, you're by far the worst." She shrugged, walking past her. "I know that's only one other Avatar, but still."

With a disdainful air, Toph walked past her, a sharp, massive pain around her elbow causing a yelp to come from Korra's throat. Sparing a brief glance at the circular-mouthed slug that had been pulled off her arm, she sent a glare at the older woman.

"Hey! It seems like you're enjoying having someone around to beat up an awful lot."

Toph gave an annoyed sigh. "Yeah, the swamp benders out here really can't take a punch."

Korra's face screwed up in confusion. "So…what made you want to drop out and disconnect from the rest of the world?"

Her tone of reply was nothing less than affronted. "I'm more connected to the world than you've _ever_ been." Her tone shifted with a slightly wistful note. "The roots and vines—they run all over the world. I can see Su and Lin, Zaofu and Republic City. I see _everything_."

Korra thought the statement over for a few seconds, a conspiratorial smirk coming to her face as she slowly lifted her hand, a thick tendril of water rising with the movement. The moment she lunged forward to send it at Toph, a wave of mud pummeled her into the ground.

To add insult to injury, Toph continued. "You're _blind_ compared to me."

Korra slowly pushed herself upright, mud falling off her in chunks as she caught Toph approaching in her peripheral vision.

"And you're distracted. You have been ever since you arrived."

The Avatar groaned softly as she doused herself in the nearby water. "And you know this how?"

"Same way I can see; same way I can tell when people lie to me." Her lips pursed. "I wouldn't advise the latter, by the way."

Korra sighed hard and slumped onto a nearby log, fingers knitted together and tucked under her chin.

"So?"

The Avatar blinked twice and looked up at her interrogator. "So what?"

Toph's arms crossed as she looked down at the younger woman. "What's got your mind so wrapped up?"

Korra took a long breath, eyes flickering to the side before looking down.

She could hear the smirk in Toph's voice. "Maybe the better question is 'who?'"

Korra snorted. "Is it that obvious?"

"I can sense your emotions, girl. Every time I ask about the source of your distraction, your heart rate hikes a couple dozen beats, and it isn't out of fear. _That_ one's pretty easy to identify. No, this is something far more regular. Felt it a couple times since you've been here." She bent a pillar of earth to serve as a high chair and sat down. "And every time, you've been alone with your thoughts, staring off blankly into the distance." Toph smirked. "So what's his name?"

Korra sighed again and looked up at her dubiously, arms crossed. "You don't _really_ want to hear about my nonexistent love life."

"On the contrary. For the last couple years, _my_ life's consisted of bending, watching, and little else. I may be able to see what's happening around the world, but there's something about conversation that's lost in translation. You get the cold, hard facts without any of the juicy details." Her wizened head cocked, a smirk playing over her lips. "And based on the way your heart's racing, I wouldn't say this love life of yours is quite as nonexistent as you're insisting."

The Avatar just stared at her blankly, lips parted as she sighed in resignation and looked back down.

"So…let's start with a name."

"Barry," she replied in a quiet voice, "Barry Allen. He's a CSI with the Republic City PD."

"Nonbender?"

Korra nodded blankly.

Toph leaned forward, chin resting on her hands. "What's he like?"

"He's…" Unknown to her, Korra's eyes glazed over slightly. "I…don't even know how to describe him." Her hands toyed in her lap. "He's sweet and kind and…and…" A thick mist clouded her vision as her voice cracked briefly. The back of her forearm wiped across her eyes. "He understands me better than anyone I've ever known." She looked down at her legs, absently kicking them up and down. "Without him…I probably wouldn't be where I am."

Toph snickered. "Slow, dull-witted, and mired in self-pity?"

Korra sent a glare at the older woman. "Walking, for one."

"And?"

"And…" she blinked rapidly, Barry's auburn hair and smiling face filling her vision. Korra sighed hard. "Barry came into my life when I was at my absolute lowest, when no one could reach me—not my best friends, not even my _family_." She frowned. "I withdrew from all of them, from _everything_. My entire life just…stopped, and I let it. I know I would've gotten back up eventually, but Barry…" a smirk played over her lips, "Barry didn't give me a choice. He reached inside me and…he didn't put the pieces back together." Her head shook. "No, he did one better. He picked them up…and showed me that _I_ could.

"When I didn't know—when I _couldn't_ know, he _showed_ me my own strength. He was my lighthouse. He gave me light and hope when I felt nothing but pain, saw nothing in my future but chaos and fear. He took my hand and helped me rise until I knew I could stand again. Barry opened my heart in ways I never knew were _possible_ ,and he…" her lips twitched upward, eyes glazing over again, "made me love again." She was silent for several seconds before the fog over her mind passed and her head shook, eyes blinking rapidly as her voice dropped to a whisper. "I…I love him." Another couple of rapid blinks, voice rising in volume and intensity. "I _love_ him."

Korra rapidly looked over at Toph to see the old woman yawning dramatically, eyes half-lidded in boredom.

The Avatar glared. " _Told_ you you didn't want to know."

The metalbending master rolled her unseeing eyes and rose from her seat, snorting derisively. "If nothing else, I now understand that no matter what body the Avatar is in, no matter how hardened or tough they appear, they're still as _unbelievably_ sappy when it comes to romance." She turned away and walked off in the direction of her cave dwelling. "Come on, Twinkletoes. It's a decent hike back, and I won't be stopping if you fall behind."

Korra groaned as she stood, joints and shredded muscles protesting the movement. "I'd expect nothing less."

…

City Hall, Republic City

"Now, rise, Wu of the Hou-Ting Dynasty, king of all the Earth lands and glorious defender of Ba Sing Se. Long may you reign!"

Barry clapped as halfheartedly as the rest of the crowd, lower lip sucked in as he restrained laughter at Mako's perpetually irritated expression. Between his head-bashing (which Barry had managed to curtail once he found out) and the sheer boredom of his detail for the last few months, Mako was going stir-crazy. Barry was decently sure he'd lost a good portion of his brain cells since being assigned as Wu's bodyguard, but it was nothing a few tough cases and an all-nighter with the station's bad coffee couldn't cure. The speedster subconsciously tuned out Wu's following speech as his eyes scanned the plaza, his left index absently toying with the ring on his right middle finger.

Between the radical protesters the cops had had to deal with earlier and the lackluster reception the prince was getting, it was clear that the monarchy was completely out of favor. Barry didn't think it would descend into open violence, but he'd gone to the chief and volunteered as backup security, just in case. She'd agreed, of course, even going so far as informing him she'd have ordered him onto the job if he hadn't come to her first. His mind snapped back to the present when Kuvira's name came from Wu's lips.

She marched up to the center of the stage, posture erect and—dare he say—regal as she faced Wu.

"For your service to the realm, I would like to present you with the Kyoshi Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest honor—which was somehow _not_ stolen, unlike the royal pinky rings."

To Barry's mild surprise, Kuvira straightened up once receiving the medal around her neck and smiled back at the prince. "Thank you, and if you don't mind, I'd like to say a few words."

Barry could see the corner of Lin's lips twitch slightly, even at this distance. Apparently, the chief didn't like something she saw.

Wu's response was nothing less than disgruntled, though not at her. "Why not? We've got _six hours_ to fill."

Though he generally didn't approve of the prince and his devil-may-care attitude about most things, Barry couldn't deny his point, and smirked as a result. His ice-blue eyes watched Kuvira take the stage and stand before the microphone with a firm look in her eyes. He watched as she scanned the crowd, taking a moment before finally speaking.

"Growing up in Zaofu with Suyin Beifong, I learned that the idea of a royal family passing a title from one generation to the next was archaic, and that technology and innovation should be what drives a nation forward. It was the pathetic rule of kings and queens that caused the Earth Kingdom to descend into such incredible disarray. It's taken me _three years_ to get it back on track, and there's no way I will allow it to slip back into the dark ages."

A cold, uncomfortable feeling settled into Barry's gut as he exchanged a brief glance with Lin.

"I'd like to make an announcement to the world." She paused and scanned the crowd again. "The Earth Kingdom is no more, and from here on out, _this man_ —" she pointed squarely at Wu, "—has no authority."

A disbelieving shudder passed through the crowd as the cold spread throughout Barry's body.

"Wait, _what_?!" Wu yelped in shock. "But I just got the royal brooch."

Kuvira turned back to the audience, undeterred. "I have created a new Earth Empire, and I will _continue_ to lead it into the future myself, bringing about a new era of prosperity for _my_ people."

Evidently, not all were so opposed to the idea, as everyone from the Earth Kingdom— _Empire_ delegation erupted into cheers and applause.

"And let me assure my fellow leaders of one thing." She tore the medal off her chest and levitated it with metalbending. "Anyone who crosses our borders or stand in our way… _will_ be crushed." On the last word, the medal crumpled into an amorphous mass and was summarily dropped to the floor of the stage.

Cameras flashed by the dozens, and cheers of approval sounded from many in the crowd. Barry saw Wu hang his head dejectedly and mutter something to himself, but never got the chance to wonder at it when a massive explosion sounded from behind him, somewhere in the city. He, and everyone else, snapped to it instantly, watching as a thin stream of smoke rose in the distance. His head turned back to the stage, where Chief Beifong gave him a slight but visible nod. Barry nodded back and vanished into the press of excited bodies, disappearing into a nearby alley moments later.

In a flash of golden lightning, Barry took off running, his ring lighting up and expelling its contents a split-second later. His suit molded around his body in sections as he pulled it on in the space of four seconds (not quite a record, but still fast enough), the cowl yanked over his features last as he took off in earnest.

…

City Hall

Lin looked off into the distance in worry for a moment before a uniformed officer came to a stop next to her and saluted crisply. "What's the situation?"

"One of our prisoner transfers has been attacked, Chief."

"Which one? Who's aboard?"

"A few Triple Threats, low-level thieves, and…"

Lin arched an eyebrow impatiently. " _And_?"

The officer's lips pursed. "And General Wade Eiling."

The chief blanched, lips parting as half the color left her face. "It's no coincidence this is happening today." She glanced at the crowd. "Eiling must've planned this to take advantage of the decreased police presence around the city." Lin frowned for a moment before turning back to the officer. "Dispatch our people to that site immediately, as many as you can send."

He saluted sharply. "Yes, ma'am."

"Mako!" she called. "You too!"

The detective looked between her and the despondent prince. "But Wu—"

"I have him handled, now _go_!"

He gave her a firm nod and sprinted off toward a nearby squad car as Lin looked off toward the smoke for a while.

"Chief."

She turned around to see Kuvira approaching with a concerned expression.

"If there's anything I can do to help—"

Lin stopped her with a single hand, upper lip twitching as she caught sight of her half-sister's betrayed expression. "You've done _enough_."

…

The Flash streaked toward the crash site at Mach 1.5, the smoke giving him a clear location as he turned down another street every split-second or so. When the overturned transport came into sight, he immediately spotted the busted-open back and discarded shackles sitting on the pavement. And five rough-looking criminals recovering their bearings.

One of them spotted him while he was still far off and pointed with a yell. "It's the Flash! Waste 'im!"

Three of the criminals ignited flames in their hands—Triple Threats, he'd guess—while the fourth and fifth used earth and stolen police weaponry, respectively. The cops themselves were nowhere to be seen, probably out cold in the front. Barry refocused on the criminals as two firebenders sent arcs of flame in his direction, curving around them to slam the third Triple Threat in the jaw with a dashing cross. He hit the pavement hard as the others kept fighting, the speedster weaving in and out of their ranks with meticulous steps and practiced ease.

Two more fireballs and a large chunk of asphalt were dodged before the Flash started _really_ laying on the hurt. Two dashing punches to one firebender sent him reeling, while a rising palm to the chest of another sent him flying into the air. The earthbender seemed to favor small projectiles to larger ones, splitting a larger chunk of pavement into dozens of smaller pieces and sending them at him at massive speeds. He withdrew step by step as he either dodged or punched the shards out of the air, finally getting enough breathing room to think through his next step. In the next split-second, he was snatching the shards out of the air and throwing them right back.

The veritable hailstorm of hardened tar pummeled the earthbending criminal until he groaned loudly and keeled over in pain, various bruises forming all across his battered body. The last man took one look at the Scarlet Speedster before dropping his stolen weapons and raising his hands in surrender. The Flash smirked and ran toward a nearby inactive power line that had fallen due to the crash, running around and tying up the beaten criminals in a cluster. He took another moment to observe the crash site, noting something about the vehicle's interior with a frown. He turned to the one unconscious escapee.

"There are six seats in there, but there are only five of you." He pointed at the van's open back. "Where's the last guy?"

"I'm right here," a voice answered from behind.

Barry turned around slowly, right hand tightening into a fist as Wade Eiling came into his line of sight. "Eiling," he half-hissed.

The former general just smirked. "Flash. Been a few days."

"Forever wouldn't be long enough, you son of a bitch."

"Ooh, you kiss your _mother_ with that mouth?" He looked up and to the side in mock thought. "Oh, that's right—" his cold eyes turned back to Barry, "—nobody does."

Barry snarled and charged for him only to stop halfway when a sharp, piercing pain lanced through his back. His legs gave out a few seconds later as he collapsed to his knees at Eiling's feet. He looked up at the general, then behind, then back to Eiling just as a masked, black-suited figure armed with a bow stepped into view.

The Flash's ice-blue eyes widened. "The Magician."

"You know him?" Eiling asked almost absently.

His gaze turned back to the general. "I was friends with the Arrow. What do _you_ think?"

"I think that I made an _excellent_ choice of partner." Wade pointed at the silent black-suited figure. "You see, the Magician here mistrusts people like you almost as much as I do—or, at least, his benefactor does."

Barry's brows furrowed. _Benefactor?_

"Sure, they see the value in metahumans, but they don't trust them." He snarled. "As well they shouldn't."

The Flash attempted to stand, but felt his legs give out a moment later, remembering the pain in his back as it flared up again. He reached back and yanked out a long black arrow with a needle tip, looking back up to the pair in front of him.

"Tranquilizer? You should _know_ by now that I can burn through that crap in _seconds_."

Eiling smiled malevolently. "Oh no, Flash. This stuff isn't meant to slow your heart rate." He leaned over the speedster. "It's meant to speed it up."

Barry took several rapid breaths, his chest tightening and heart hammering hard in his rib cage.

"That arrowhead was filled with a highly concentrated dose of tetrodotoxin—pufferfish venom."

The Flash gasped for breath as he started to collapse to the pavement.

"In fact, it's so concentrated, that if your system couldn't already withstand extremely high heart rates and blood pressure, your innards would already have _exploded_."

Barry clawed at him incoherently, lungs barely functioning as he felt pressure build in every corner of his body.

Eiling crouched over his seizing form. "I figured it was fair pay for ruining my life. There's still a chance—however small—that you'll survive to get me back, but…" he shrugged, "I wouldn't bank on it." He stood up straight when the Magician pulled at his shoulder with his empty hand. "Goodbye, Flash. I'd say it's been fun—but then I'd be lying." He brought his boot down into Barry's gut several times. "Instead, I'll say: 'see you in hell.'"

The pair marched off together, leaving the spasming Flash in unbelievable agony. His entire _body_ felt like it was on fire, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Without his regeneration, he'd already be dead, but attempting to speed up his metabolism—the usual way of burning through unwanted chemicals—would only make matters worse. After what felt like hours but was actually just over a minute, his lungs virtually stopped working altogether, spasming uncontrollably as his heart rate went off the charts. A brown blur passed above him, and his eyes flitted around in panic until Mako's face slowly resolved in his vision.

"Barry!" he shouted in alarm. "What's happening?!"

"I—can't—can't breathe," he managed between gasps.

Before he could say anything else or Mako could respond, Barry felt his entire torso lift off the ground in a massive seizure, his back hitting the pavement hard several times before he came to a stop. And when he did, all breath left him, and there was only darkness.

…

"Barry? Barry!"

Mako's lungs inflated and deflated at a rapid rate as he failed to find a pulse, and panic began to fill his veins. Shaking his head rapidly, he tightened his jaw and took a breath. His arms moved, and sapphire lightning sparked between his fingers as he charged up and pulled away from the Flash's body. His hands came down a moment later, sending a massive electric shock through the speedster's body. He didn't wake afterward, didn't breathe, didn't even twitch. Mako's head shook again, hard.

"Come on, buddy. You do _not_ get to clock out on me."

Another, stronger shock; still no response.

"Not like this!"

Another lightning strike. Nothing.

"Come on, you stupid, geeky son of a—"

"Gaaaaaahhhh!"

Barry's entire body arched massively as he yelled. His lungs greedily sucked in air as Mako held him firmly, taking his hand and giving him an anchor as he slowly got his bearings. A good minute or so passed before Barry's breathing started to normalize. Another twenty seconds passed before he was coherent enough for speech.

"E-Eiling—"

"He's gone," Mako interrupted softly. "It's okay."

"N-No it isn't. He's—"

"Barry, shut up. Right now, the only thing that's important is making sure you're okay, understand?"

The speedster took a few more labored breaths before giving him a shaky nod. "Let's…please never do that again?"

Mako huffed a small laugh before slumping over and sighing in relief. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

…

"That was _terrible_."

Toph laughed heartily. "Maybe for _you_. I had a _great_ time." She paused and sat on a log. "I never realized how much I missed tormenting the Avatar." Her tone became bored. "I wish you were putting up more of a fight, but it was still fun."

Korra's shoulders slumped as she rubbed a sore spot on her arm. "You were tossing me around like a _ragdoll_ all day long."

"I _know_! And I'm an old lady! Imagine me in my prime! I would have _destroyed_ you!"

Korra arched an eyebrow and frowned. _You're enjoying this_ entirely _too much._ "I just don't understand why I can't get back to my former self."

Toph remained silent as they resumed walking.

"It's like I'm a step slower. I'm tentative, I'm out of synch. I just _can't_ get back in the groove."

Toph came to a stop. "Probably carrying around that metal doesn't help."

Korra's eyes widened in alarm. "What metal?"

She turned to the Avatar. "The little bits of metal poison stuck in your body." She chuckled. "Are you trying to tell me you can't feel metal in your own body? You _really_ are the worst Avatar ever."

Ignoring her barb, Korra pressed on. "I thought Su got it all out."

"Oh, my girls never really picked up metalbending all that well, if you ask me."

Korra arched a disbelieving eyebrow before remembering just how many times she'd been pummeled that afternoon—not that it was unusual nowadays. And then the implications settled into her head, and she moved toward Toph with an exhilarated glint in her eyes. "That's been my problem this entire time!" She grabbed Toph at the shoulders and pulled her to face her. "I gotta get it out! You can get it out for me, right?"

Toph's expression twisted in affront. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

And then Korra was shoved out of her personal space by the head.

…

Aang Memorial Hospital, Republic City

"Nngh…"

Barry's ice-blue eyes fluttered open as pain lanced through his head and chest, vision blurry and slowly sharpening over several seconds, much slower than usual. When he finally came to, a single pair of familiar green eyes greeted him. A smile slowly spread over his features, another long groan coming from his throat when another sharp pain lanced through his chest, eyes shutting again a moment later.

"Easy, kid." He felt Lin's gentle grip on his shoulder. "You've been out for a while."

Barry looked up at her, taking a long breath.

"Mako would've been here," she added, "but he had to escort the prince to Little Ba Sing Se."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Why? Wu's coronation got the kibosh _big_ time."

Lin crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow right back. "Ever considered that maybe he just wanted a little taste of home?"

"No, I mean…why bring Mako with him? He's just a private citizen now."

The chief frowned a little. "I'll admit, you have a point." She sighed. "Either way, we'll have to manage this Eiling business on our own."

Barry hissed in pain as he pushed himself into a rough sitting position. "Maybe not. Eiling didn't escape on his own. He had outside help."

"From whom?"

" _Al Sa-Her_ , the Magician."

Her green eyes widened slightly. "The psycho archer Queen's been looking for?"

Barry nodded. "I don't know why, but he's allied himself with the general. And there's something else. Eiling mentioned a secret benefactor, someone who 'values, but doesn't trust' metahumans like me. Ideas?"

Her head shook slowly. "None, but we'll have plenty of time to think about that after you're recovered."

He frowned. "Shouldn't take _too_ much longer, right? I mean—"

"According to Caitlin, you shouldn't be _alive_ right now, considering the damage done to your system. I didn't understand all the doctor speak, but suffice to say, the only reason you're still breathing is the Speedforce in your system—and even then just barely. If Mako hadn't resuscitated you—"

"I try not to think about it," Barry interrupted as she looked off into the distance.

Lin flinched and nearly jumped when another hand entered hers, tightening around her fingers a little. Her gaze turned back to Barry, who was smiling up at her a little.

"You okay?" he asked.

She blinked several times, staring at him blankly. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked nonchalantly, unaffected.

His head shook. "No reason."

The speedster smirked as his eyes flickered down to their intertwined hands faster than she could notice. Despite her lack of obvious warmth, he noted with some degree of satisfaction that she didn't pull away from his touch. His fingers closed a little further, and to his surprise, her grip tightened as well, even harder than his, and something twitched at the corner of her lips. Barry didn't ask her about the city or work, and she didn't bring it up. He just stared at the ceiling and smiled, more than happy to sit still and wait for his body to recover.

…

"Okay, if you want me to bend out this metal, you need to relax."

Korra cringed in irritation, her body laid out on a wooden slab. "I _am_ relaxed."

Toph scoffed. "Oh, seriously? Your body is like a twisted _tree trunk_."

Her head snapped up as she glared at the metalbender in annoyance. "Just _do_ it! I'm ready!"

Without another word, Beifong cracked her knuckles and neck, gearing up for the task at hand. Korra's eyes were closed, excited breaths entering and exiting her lungs in anticipation. And then pain lanced through her lower abdomen, and she shot up in a flash.

"It wouldn't hurt if you would just relax! Stop _fighting_ me!"

"I'm _not_ fighting!" Korra insisted, slumping back down a moment later.

With a sigh and another crack of her joints, Toph repositioned herself and made another attempt, this time seeming to go smoother. Seconds in, though, the darkness behind Korra's eyelids was no longer safe, as visions of her near-death and Zaheer flashed through her mind. And the pain returned full-force, even worse than before.

"All right, that's _it_!" Toph declared, throwing her hands up. "You're going to have to do this yourself. _Clearly_ you want to keep the metal in there."

Korra's head snapped to her incredulously. "What do you _mean_?! Why would I _want_ poison inside of me?"

Toph shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe so you have an excuse not to go back to being the Avatar." Her hands went to her hips. "If you don't get better, you can't do your job, so you don't have to worry about getting hurt again."

Her eyes went wide. "Wha—that's _ridiculous_!"

Toph snorted and turned away. "Whatever. When you want it out, _you_ can bend it out. I can't deal with _all_ your issues for you."

Korra watched her leave until she blinked. "Wait! What am I supposed to do now?"

"How should _I_ know? Ask the spirit that brought you here. The good news is, if you're looking for a place to hang where no one will bother you, you picked the best swamp in the world."

Korra just sighed hard and clutched her arms around her throbbing midsection, lying back down as despair settled into her gut. She laid her head down numbly.

 _Barry…have I undone everything you changed in me, everything you tried to heal?_ She frowned hard. _You were right._ Her ocean blue eyes closed as she sighed again. _I never should've left._

* * *

AN: Good news: I'm not dead. Better news: neither is this story. It's been a hella long hiatus, I'll admit, but I think we're _finally_ back on track to finish. Might not be on schedule for the end of my school year, since there's a lot occupying my time these days, but I'm going full speed ahead with this story. I'll be releasing a chapter a day until the end of a fairly wrapped-up arc, which is about eight chapters total, and then we'll see.

On another note, all this depressing emo garbage is a necessary evil, but rest assured, it ain't sticking around forever. On the contrary, as I've stated in the past, because of the existence of the Flash and other heroes and villains from DC, new threats will arise, yes, but new (and in my opinion, better) solutions to old conflicts will as well. You'll see what I mean in later chapters.

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this chapter well enough. Toph was always one of my favorite characters, but I really want to get past this introductory stuff and into the real action. This act is going to be...interesting. A lot of interwoven storylines, a few of which I'm hesitant to explore in this story, since they lean heavily on characters from the Arrow side, but I don't know. We'll see.

To close, please review at your leisure and recommend this story to your friends.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake

Musical Inspirations:

Arrow: Season 3 - Like Father, Like Daughter: start-1:23—Eiling's visitor


	39. Anticipating

Anticipating (adj.): to be in the process of waiting while regarding an outcome as probable.

2 days later

The Foggy Swamp

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"So…what's the plan for today?"

A whistling Toph smirked. "You're _looking_ at it," she replied, indicating her current lounging condition.

Korra stared at her blankly. "But we didn't do anything yesterday, _or_ the day before that." She knelt and sat next to Toph, lighting up excitedly a moment later. "I know! Tell me the story about how you taught Aang to earthbend."

"What's there to tell? I threw some rocks at the Avatar, he got all whiny, and Sokka fell in a hole."

Korra arched an eyebrow, blinking a few times. "I…thought there'd be more to it than that." Another moment of silence passed before she brightened up again. "What about the time you guys took down the Fire Lord? That must've been _epic_."

"Oh…yeah—" Toph's expression and tone went completely deadpan, "—it was hot. I was on a blimp, and I think a giant turtle showed up. Wow. What a day."

Korra stared at her for a second. "Okay, you're _terrible_ at telling stories."

Toph gave her a look. " _You're_ terrible at listening to them."

The Avatar sighed hard and looked off into the distance, absently tapping her heel against the ground. It stopped when Toph bent the earth beneath her feet, thankfully not catapulting her off the log she was seated on.

"Quit making all that racket," Toph ordered, rising to a sitting position. "If you're so antsy to do something, why don't you go and collect some mushrooms for dinner?"

Korra rose and walked away. "You _got_ it."

"Take the path 'til you see the boulder with the hole in it, then go to your left. Oh, and make sure you get the big, slimy ones." She chuckled. "They're the tastiest."

The Avatar just sighed and rolled her eyes at her eccentric host.

…

Police HQ, Republic City

A pair of bamboo chopsticks slipped a dumpling into the mouth of a hungry speedster as his ice-blue eyes rapidly scanned a United Forces dispatch forwarded to him by Asami (who got it as a favor from Iroh). Ever since Eiling's escape two days previous, the United Forces had been given jurisdiction over his case, and thus the RCPD had been shoved out. Lin had pulled a few strings to keep her—and by extension Barry—in the loop, but otherwise they'd had no say in how the investigation was being conducted. Now that Eiling was on the outs with regard to the military, Barry had a little more confidence in their ability to apprehend him…if only just a little.

When dealing with men like _Al Sa-Her_ and the Reverse-Flash, things were never that simple. As for the "benefactor" Eiling had mentioned, the CSI had _nothing_. No shady financial records, no previous connections to Ba Sing Se, nothing at all that would suggest previous contact with _Al Sa-Her_ or anyone else involved in Earth Kingdom—Empire business. He'd even called Oliver, attempting to make sense of all this, but the Green Arrow had problems of his own. Between having to take over Queen Consolidated and training a new protégé, Ollie's schedule was absolutely _booked_ for the foreseeable future—and that wasn't even taking into account the crackdowns on "rogue elements" in Ba Sing Se.

Suffice to say, Barry had begun accepting that he was pretty much on his own. Well, except for Team Flash, that was.

 _Speaking of…_

Barry read the last few lines of the dispatch before glancing around and leaving a note for Lin. He left in the next couple of seconds, streaking across Republic City and making his way to the airfield. Upon coming to a stop in Asami's office, he frowned in confusion, not finding her there. Looking out the observation window, he saw movement in the nearby hangar and streaked down to walk into the building.

"Hey, Hal!"

The pilot glanced in his direction and nodded. "Barry."

"You seen Asami anywhere?"

He shrugged and shook his head. "Not today."

"What about Cisco and Caitlin?"

Hal arched an eyebrow at Barry. "The egghead and the doc? Naw, them either. Say, Barry, you know anything about maglev tech?"

The CSI blinked and gave him a look. "What?"

"Your buddy Cisco was talkin' about some kind of experimental propulsion he got on loan from Varrick Global, how he could repurpose it to accelerate projectiles instead of vehicles."

"You mean…like some kind of weapon?"

"Exactly. Semi-automatic and powered by electricity. Theoretically, it could fire over a hundred shots a minute with pinpoint accuracy and near-supersonic speeds."

Barry stared at him for a second. "Why would Future Industries be developing something like that?"

He shrugged. "Upgrade to the mecha tanks? Or to biplanes, maybe? Who knows?"

"Huh." The speedster turned toward a large form with a tarp over it. "What's that?"

"Oh—heh, that? That's uh…" Hal kept stuttering nervously and rushed over to the machine in question, pulling the tarp a little tighter around its body. "Just something they've been workin' on. You know, since I nearly crashed the last prototype."

"What's so special about it?

Hal smirked. "Apart from the fact that it was designed with yours truly in mind? A completely new engine design. New electromagnetic turbine propulsion systems under both wings allow for massive acceleration and top speeds like you've never seen. Aluminum alloy composite body and wings decrease weight while increasing tensile strength, ductility, and overall durability. Essentially, this baby is the mother of a whole new generation of fighter planes—and I cannot _wait_ to take it out for a spin…once it's finished, that is."

Barry nodded slowly. "Huh…right. Well, anyway, if Asami's not here, I better get going."

"Oh! Just remembered, she mentioned something to me about going to a meeting at corporate HQ when she came by yesterday." He smirked. "Probably had _you_ in mind, since she knows I don't care either way."

Barry smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Hal."

"Sure thing."

The speedster made for the exit, but stopped in the doorway. "Hey Hal…you want to grab a drink sometime?"

The pilot gave him a strange look.

"I mean…it's just…Asami doesn't really bring you up all that much and…with the stress she's under these days, I just can't help but feel that maybe knowing more about you could help."

Hal gave him a long stare. "So…you want to know why I'm such a big stress on her?"

Barry's brows furrowed. "A stress? Hal, apart from your death-defying stunts, being around you is one of the few things that calms her _down_."

The pilot's brown eyebrows hiked upward.

"Just…think about it, okay?"

Hal stared at him blankly, then nodded slowly.

Barry turned about and sighed, taking off once he was out of sight.

…

The Foggy Swamp

Korra's green-clad figure strode down the path Toph had prescribed, making her way through a set of thick vines as a pressure began to build in the back of her head. It wasn't painful, but certainly noticeable. The pressure was forgotten when she pushed aside a wall of vines only to stop short at what she saw.

There, standing barely fifteen feet away, was Amon—with his hands around the head of her younger self. He lifted his thumb from her forehead, her body slumping to the floor limply. Shaking her head, Korra turned away only to stop again, this time faced with a possessed Unalaq as he and Vaatu tore Raava from her body. Korra yelped and fell backward, scooting away and turning around again, staring at a sight that sent deathly chills down her spine. She was chained again, arms and legs stretched out, as mercury poison was forced into her veins. She struggled and yelled in effort, falling into a cold sweat until the Red Lotus turned to face her, and a bright flash purged her eyes of the vision.

Knee-deep and on all fours in a small creek, she closed her eyes and breathed heavily for a few moments before picking herself up and continuing on.

…

Future Industries Tower

"And you can guarantee fair tariffs across Earth Empire borders? Tensions have been a little high since…you know."

"Yes, of course. There's no way I'd leave my biggest trading partner out to dry. Rest assured, I'll see to all the necessary arrangements."

Asami smiled and reached out to shake the man's hand. "I've never told you this, but you're a real life-saver, Malcolm."

The CEO of Merlyn Global smiled widely and shook her hand firmly. "Please; a good businessman knows that friendship and trust are key ingredients of _any_ good partnership. You call it kindness; I call it good business."

The Sato heir chuckled lightly. "In my experience, the two often align."

Malcolm laughed. "True enough."

A loud knock at her office door prompted a, "Come in."

"'Sami?" Barry's windswept hair was the first thing seen before the rest of his red-and-gray clad body stepped through. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Merlyn. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No," she dismissed with a wave, moving around her desk, "we were just finishing up."

Merlyn rose to his feet and re-buttoned his suit, facing Barry. "And who is this fine young gentleman?"

"Barry Allen," he replied, shaking his hand.

Malcolm shot Asami a quizzical look, an unspoken question in the gesture.

She smiled a little. "He's my brother."

The other CEO's eyebrows shot skyward. "Really?" He glanced between Barry and Asami. "But you look—"

"Nothing alike, I know," she interrupted. "Brother by adoption."

"Ah," he said with a nod, smiling a little. "Well, as they say, 'blood of the covenant is thicker than water of the womb.'"

Her smile faded slightly. "True enough."

Malcolm's gaze flickered to Barry in a rather appraising way before he checked his watch. "Well, I'd best be going. I have a meeting with one of my subsidiaries here before heading back to Ba Sing Se."

"I won't keep you," Asami said, shaking his hand again. "Safe travels, Mr. Merlyn."

"Thank you." He turned to Barry. "It was nice to meet you."

Barry smiled back. "Good to meet you too, sir."

A few seconds passed as Asami's personal assistant escorted Merlyn from the building.

Barry eventually turned to her. "He seems nice."

Her head shook slowly, a smirk on her face. "He's a scheming opportunist…but, in our line of work, that's kind of a prerequisite for success." She strode back to her desk, heels clicking on the smooth, polished floor. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?"

"Oh." Barry reached over to a messenger back slung over his shoulder and pulled out a folder with a familiar crest. "Wanted to give this back. Wouldn't do to have United Forces documents be found in the hands of a civilian police employee."

She arched a raven eyebrow at him as she took the folder. "And it would look better to be found in the hands of a private citizen?"

He winced. "Touché. But then, you've always been better at keeping secrets than I have."

"Like when?"

Barry grinned and shrugged. "I dunno. Just seems like you would be."

Asami smiled and rolled her green eyes, giving the window—and by extension the city—a sideways stare.

"Something wrong?"

Asami blinked and looked back up at him, shaking her head. "No, just…taking a moment. Been a while since I've been up here without having to run back out to deal with some crisis. Haven't had the chance to just…take it all in. Not since…" She frowned a little.

"Your dad," Barry supplied quietly.

Asami felt her jaw tighten unconsciously, nodding rather stiffly.

"How are you two, anyway?"

She let out a small snort. "We haven't spoken in _years_. At this rate, I'm starting to think we never will." Asami felt a hand on her shoulder, the warmth seeping through her business attire as she looked up at the source and smiled, leaning into his touch. "I'm okay, Bear. Really. I have Mako and Bolin and Korra…and you." She laid one hand over his. "I have all the family I could ever need." A smirk. "Besides, didn't you hear Malcolm? Blood is thicker than water."

Barry's lips pursed. "But…he's your _dad_ , 'Sami. I mean, whatever he's done in the past…" he shrugged, "that's gotta count for _something_."

Asami frowned and sighed, looking away. "You would _think_ so."

There was no anger or resentment to her tone, only a deep sadness and pity, not for Hiroshi's sake, but for her eternally optimistic brother. Before she could process what was happening, she felt herself enveloped in a complete embrace that sent warm waves through her chest and a nearly painful tug through her heart. She smiled and held him back, face pressed into his shoulder like she never wanted to let go. Truth be told…that wouldn't have been all that bad.

…

The Foggy Swamp

Someway along her trek through the swamp, Korra found herself sitting on the roots of a massive tree, some twelve feet above the ground, arms curled around her knees as she stared into infinity.

"There you are!"

Korra nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden intrusion, calming once she saw Toph approaching.

"You got my dinner yet?"

She looked away. "No, this swamp…it did crazy things to my mind. I had _visions_ …of all the times my enemies hurt me."

Toph looked away somewhat distractedly. "Yeah, I figured something like that might happen."

"What?! You _wanted_ me to see those visions?!" She scowled and curled her arms around her knees again. "You are one twisted old lady, you know that?"

"Look," Toph said, sitting on another root, "I know you want to get better—and so does the _swamp_. It can sense you're out of balance. It'll teach you what you need to learn— _if_ you're open to listening."

Korra heaved a massive sigh. "Okay, swamp. I'm all ears."

"You said you saw your past enemies. Now, why do you think that is?"

"I don't know…because they've made me and a lot of other people suffer."

"Sounds like you're carrying around your former enemies the same way you're still carrying around that metal poison. You ever consider maybe you could _learn_ something from them?"

Korra arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like the swamp's messing with _your_ mind, too."

Toph turned her nose up at Korra. " _My_ mind is just fine, thank you. Listen. What did Amon want? Equality for all. Unalaq? He brought back the spirits. And Zaheer believed in _freedom_."

Korra thought for a moment. "I guess."

"The problem was, those guys were _totally_ out of balance, and they took their ideologies too far."

"Okay, fine—but that doesn't explain why they keep _haunting_ me."

"Because you need to face your fears," Toph said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You can't expect to deal with future enemies if you're still fighting the _old_ ones."

Another few seconds of thought. "Maybe you're right, but…how am I supposed to move on?"

Toph snorted. "Boy, you Avatars sure need a lot of hand-holding. Get up!" She stood first. "We're going to the banyon-grove tree."

…

RC Jitters, Republic City

"When was the last time we all went out like this? Ya know, just to relax and enjoy the company of friends?"

Cisco got his deadpan jokester air on as the rest of the table braced for his answer. "Oh, probably the seventh of forever. Or was it the fourteenth of never?" He smirked. "I keep forgetting."

A small rumble of laughter vibrated across the table as Barry scanned all their faces. Ronnie sat next to Caitlin, as usual, their hands perpetually intertwined. Cisco was sandwiched between Cate and Martin, who sat opposite Ronnie to prevent any unintentional merges. Mako, thank the spirits, had gotten a little time off from guarding the prince and was able to attend their little gathering. He sat on Barry's left. And Asami, of course, was on his right, all seven of them sitting around one large rectangular table and sipping various drinks, even Martin (who didn't really _need_ to, but had come to appreciate the taste while inside Ronnie's body).

"So," Martin began, "whose idea was it for this little get-together?"

"Barry's, of course," Cisco answered without hesitation. "He always seems to know when we need a little pick-me-up."

"Actually," the speedster replied, "this was _Asami's_ idea. Yeah, I know, hard to believe, right? Ms. Workaholic."

She slugged his shoulder good-naturedly. "I _do_ know when to slow down…every once in a while."

"Uh huh," Barry replied with a smirk. "Well, I'm glad. Can't have you burning the candle at both ends, burning out on us."

"Especially now, with this whole Earth Empire business," Mako added. "I mean…I don't think I've ever seen anyone make such a powerful unilateral decision. Not since…"

"Since Amon," Asami supplied in a quiet voice, frowning.

Mako blinked and leaned back in his seat. "Yeah."

An awkward silence passed over the group.

"If it's any consolation," Cisco said finally, "I got a good vibe about this."

"Speaking of…Cisco," Caitlin said. "Anything new with your…abilities?"

The darker man turned to her and chewed his lower lip, looking up at the ceiling. "Naw, not really. I mean, I've been getting a bit stronger, but other than that—"

"Stronger?" Barry interrupted. "What do you mean?"

"Well, uh…like, you know how I can't really get a crystal clear fix on wherever someone is? Now, that margin of error's closing. Just a bit at a time, but still. The more I practice, the closer I can get. And the _range_ , man…whoo buddy I'm clockin' more than just the old couple of miles. I'm gettin' ranges across the _continent_."

Barry's eyes shot wide open. "Dude, are you serious?"

"Oh yeah. I mean, the further out my target is, the fuzzier the location gets, but…still." He shifted in his seat, still mildly uncomfortable with the extent of his abilities. "What about you, Cate? What's new with the whole 'snow machine' thing you got goin' on?"

The doctor immediately flinched and went tight-lipped, her grip around Ronnie's hand tightening almost to the point of breaking something.

Her husband frowned and looked up at the others. "She doesn't like to talk about it," he explained. "These powers…they remind her too much of Thawne, of what he did to her…and what she did as a result. The city may have forgotten about it, but she hasn't. She can't."

"And…I can't bring myself to use them unless _absolutely_ necessary," Caitlin added.

Asami gave her a reassuring smile from across the table. "And nobody's gonna ask you to."

Caitlin smiled and nodded. "I know." Her brown gaze swept across the table's denizens. "That's what I love about you guys. You all understand me in ways that…my own _family_ never did." She smiled wider. "Thank you."

"You never have to thank us for doin' right by you," Cisco said. " _We're_ your family."

"Damn right," Mako agreed, raising his mug to the center of the table.

They all raised their cups in tandem, clinking together and taking long chugs of "The Flash," the newest specialty drink at Jitters (special in that it's just as likely to give you a heart attack from all the sugar and caffeine as it is to keep you awake). When their mugs were laid down, Barry looked toward the door and let a grin spread over his features when a familiar brown flight jacket was visible coming through. Asami noticed his expression and turned to see what he was looking at, her features blanching once she saw and eyes turning to Barry accusingly.

"Did _you_ do this?"

He just smirked and sipped his namesake.

"Hey, boss! What's up?"

Barry vainly restrained laughter while Cisco held back giggles and everyone else stared at the newcomer. Asami just let out a groan and rubbed her temples.

…

The Foggy Swamp

Korra climbed the last in a series of long steps to the roots of the centerpiece of the swamp: the banyon-grove tree, a massive, building-sized plant with roots that stretched all along the swamp.

"It's _beautiful_ ," said the Avatar.

"The roots of the banyon-grove tree spread out for _miles_ in every direction, connecting this whole swamp. Your problem is you've been disconnected for too long. Disconnected from the people who _love_ you, _and_ disconnected from yourself."

Korra frowned in concentration, striding closer to the trunk of the giant tree and kneeling, placing one hand against its roots. Her eyes closed as she focused hard, letting energy flow through her from the living organism. A single line of golden light erupted on the root, flowing from her palm out into the swamp, where she could see three squabbling airbenders astride a flying bison. Her eyes snapped open a moment later, a wide grin stretching over her face.

"I can't believe it!" she exclaimed, turning to Toph. "I saw Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. They're _here_!"

"Good," Toph said. "Hopefully they're here to take you home."

Seconds later, the kids in question flew from the trees atop their bison, screaming out her name excitedly and waving their arms madly. The Avatar rose to her feet and turned to face them, arching an eyebrow as they glided toward her on newfangled wingsuits and letting her grin widen further as tears leaked from her eyes. Wiping them away with the back of her arm, she waited for them to touch down, then felt herself enveloped in warm hugs, one after the other as they catapulted into her. Korra held them back a moment later, relishing the moment.

Ikki pulled back first. "I missed you so much, Korra."

"I missed you so much, too." Something occurred to her as they all pulled away. "How did you find me all the way out here?"

"Jinora sensed your energy," the younger girl said.

"But we _never_ would've been here if it weren't for Ikki," Jinora added.

"I never would've stormed off and found those soldiers if it weren't for Meelo."

The youngest held his head up smugly. "I was trying to toughen up these ladies, but…I guess it _was_ a team effort."

Ikki gasped and lit up. "I _love_ your hair."

"It's _so_ you," Meelo added.

Two not-so-discreet coughs came from Toph's direction, and the airbenders turned to face her.

"Uh," Korra started awkwardly, "this is Meelo, Jinora, and Ikki; Aang and Katara's grandchildren."

Toph marched up to them, hands tucked behind her back. "Your grandpa was a real pain in my butt."

"Wait a minute," Meelo said suspiciously. "Cranky? Old? _Blind_?" His face lit up in excitement. "You must be Toph!"

To none of Korra's surprise, Toph lit up in a grin and jerked her thumb at Meelo. "Oh, I like this one."

Without another word, Jinora and the airbenders turned to Korra. "You need to come home, Korra. Kuvira is taking over the Earth Kingdom."

"You _have_ to stop her," Ikki insisted.

"I don't know," Korra said hesitantly. "I'm not the Avatar I used to be. I-I can't even go into the Avatar State."

" _Please_ , Korra."

"The world needs you back," Jinora added.

Korra stared back at them, then looked down as a deep frown creased her features.

…

Republic City

"Well _that_ was the most hilarious thing I've seen all week. And that's _including_ Prince Wu nearly bursting a vein pouting over being deposed."

Barry smirked at Mako as they strode away from Jitters. "One thing I've noticed about Asami, especially in recent months: she bottles up a lot. Emotions, stress, pain. Those things catch up to you when you don't deal with 'em, and the longer you put it off—"

"The harder it is to come back."

The speedster frowned as he thought of Korra, wondering if maybe he should ask Cisco to "vibe" on his locket…

"Earth to Barry."

He blinked and looked back up at Mako. "What?"

"I said, how did you know that was gonna work? That _he_ was gonna work?"

Barry shrugged. "I didn't, for sure, that is. Just…a lucky guess. She lets her guard down around Hal, in ways I've only ever seen her do with Korra, me, and…sometimes you."

"Sometimes?"

He smirked. "I just…I don't know the whole story behind their relationship, but…he was there for her when no one else was. And yeah, I know you were around on occasion, but still. It's not the same. For a whole year, she had _no_ one. Not her father, not you, not Bolin, not Korra. Not me. Caitlin and Cisco were both out of town for most of that time. It was just Hal Jordan, the maverick ace pilot with a flirtatious streak and little regard for his own safety." Barry's head shook slowly as he frowned. "I _gotta_ find out what happened between them."

"Yeah, sure, but is that for her sake or yours?"

Barry arched an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

Mako shrugged. "I mean, do you want to know more about him so that you can get him to help Asami, or do you want to know more so you can decide whether or not to toss him through the breach?"

Barry snorted and let out a chuckle. "A…bit of both, actually." He glanced over at the detective and shook his head. "It's kinda scary sometimes, how well you know me."

Mako came to a stop and turned toward his friend. "Well, I should. We're best friends, after all."

Barry smiled and nodded slowly, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Guess you better get back to the prince."

"Yeah," he groaned. "One thing I can't complain about is the accommodations. Say what you will about the royal turd; he knows how to live in style."

The speedster grinned and fist-bumped him. "Don't be a stranger."

"Likewise."

Barry watched Mako walk away for a few moments before entering a nearby alley and triggering his ring. He was in his suit and out on the streets in seconds, just running to run, to clear his head. Despite Cisco's "vibes," he couldn't shake the feeling that something was just _wrong_ , like he and everyone else were just waiting for the other shoe to drop. And Korra…there'd been no word from her since his nineteenth birthday (speaking of, she was _two_ years older than him now, what the _hell_ was up with that?). He could only hope that that breakthrough she needed was either coming soon or already received. The Flash would need all the help he could get.

For now, he just took a long run around his city, taking in the sweet night air and circling it a few times before running back home.

…

The Foggy Swamp

Korra stood staring at a recently prepared campfire, narrowing her eyes in focus before she turned around to face Toph and the others.

"All right," she said, "I'm ready."

"I'm not bending it out of you," Toph said. " _You've_ gotta do this on your own."

Korra blinked and nodded, spreading her feet apart and assuming a traditional earthbending stance as she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly a moment later.

"Close your eyes," said Toph. "Clear your mind—and _don't_ freak out like last time!"

Korra shot her a look, then resumed her stance.

"Now, focus your energy. Find the metal. Let it move _through_ your body."

Korra's arms and diaphragm moved at once as her chi was channeled inward, bits and pieces of mercury lighting up her senses like a metal detector. As she kept circulating her arms, visions of the Red Lotus attack assaulted her senses, and she snapped out of the trance-like state in a cold sweat, clutching her hands to her chest.

"That fight is _over_ ," Toph said in a surprisingly soothing tone. "Release the fear."

Korra let out another breath and gritted her teeth in determination, straightening up again and resuming her motions. Painful itching erupted along her forearms as she pushed her palms outward and felt the mercury begin to leak from her pores. She drew back once more and pushed outward again, releasing breath and energy as two drops of poison flew from her arms and coalesced into a large sphere of liquid. Two more followed seconds later, joining the first, and she sent them in Toph's direction, allowing the original metalbender to encase them in a stone container.

The master grinned as she brought the container to a stop. "Well done, Korra."

And her eyes lit up pure white as energy coursed through her veins, her expression going blank for a moment as Meelo exclaimed, "The Avatar is back in business!"

Korra's eyes faded to their normal blue, and she looked down at her wrapped forearms. "I feel _so_ much lighter." She turned to Toph. "Thank you _so_ much for helping me. I'd like to…give you a hug now, if that's okay with you."

"All right," she conceded mock-reluctantly before smiling. "You earned it."

Korra enveloped her teacher in a firm embrace for several moments, Toph gently patting her back with one hand. A few minutes later, the airbenders were packed and Korra mounting up on their bison. She stopped when she felt a calloused hand on her arm, and looked down to see Toph giving her a strange look.

"Yes?"

Toph frowned a little. "You learned a lot about letting go today, but I hope you realize that doesn't apply to _everything_ in your past—or every _one_." She reached down into a fold of her robes and placed something metallic into Korra's palm.

She looked down and felt her eyes widen and jaw drop when her brain registered what it was: the lightning earpiece Barry had given her…just in case. Korra looked back to Toph, who had a surprising softness to her features, and nodded with a small smile of understanding. Toph nodded back and stepped away from the bison, allowing Korra to tuck the earpiece into her pocket and mount up. The airbenders and the Avatar shouted their goodbyes as one, then flew off into the night as the metalbender returned to her cave dwelling. Korra frowned and looked down at the occupied pocket, feeling a tug on her shirt from Meelo's direction.

"Mhm?" she asked almost absently.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

Korra smirked. "Oh, nothing." Her smirk turned mischievous. "Just that one time I beat you all at air scooter racing."

And instantly, shouts of "because you cheated," and "didn't count" erupted across the large saddle, and Korra let out massive peals of laughter. As the kids continued to argue around her, she wiped a single tear from her eye and let out a long, contented sigh. It was just like the old days. Just like home. Finally…she was going home.

…

Somewhere in the Earth Empire

"Yes. Yes, of course. I had my team salvage the remains…yes, they followed your instructions to the letter. It'll take some time, but I have every confidence…I'm aware of the stakes. Yes. Thank you, Commander. I will _not_ disappoint you."

Malcolm Merlyn set the phone back in its cradle, eyes narrowed and glaring at the device for a few moments as he stewed in silence. Suddenly, his head snapped upright and turned to his left.

" _Sarab_ , find Palmer down in R&D. Tell him to handpick a team and get to work on reverse-engineering this tech _immediately_. The future of the Earth Empire depends on it."

The other man bowed. "At once, _Al Sa-Her_." He turned away and strode off to do as his master commanded.

Merlyn the Magician sighed and turned back toward the interior of the warehouse he was currently occupying. Two stories below sat a large machine made of shattered glass, metal, and materials no one had even _created_ yet. His cold blue eyes narrowed in deadly focus as salvage teams bustled about their work. Eventually, his eyes drifted to a part of the machine's central frame, where a large crack indicated a breakage point.

And a Future Industries logo sat engraved into the metal.

* * *

AN: And another one gone! I'm on a roll, and hoping to keep this up now that most of the intermediate chapters are _finally_ done. If it's getting a little hard to follow all of this, I completely understand. A lot's happening at once, and it won't all make sense at once, but it will in time, trust me.

Not much to say here, just that those of you who watched season 4 of Korra already know things are about to go _really_ south _really_ fast. But…exactly _how_ fast?

Find out in the next couple of chapters as we lead up to the Battle of Zaofu and beyond.

Please review and recommend this story to your friends.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	40. Negotiator

AN: Disclaimer: this is a _really_ long-ass chapter. You've been warned.

* * *

Negotiator (n.): one who performs or facilitates discussions aimed at reaching an agreement.

Next day

Earth Empire territory

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Are you sure we should be going to Zaofu? Dad wanted us to bring you back to Republic City."

Korra frowned at Jinora's question. "If Kuvira's heading to Zaofu, so am I. She needs to know that the Avatar is back." Her jaw tightened. "The _world_ needs to know."

On her right, Meelo leapt in the air and whooped, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Avatar fight! This is going to be awesome!"

Korra chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Meelo, there's not going to be a fight. Kuvira saved my dad, she was a captain in Su's guard; I think she can be reasoned with."

He gave her a shocked look. "What?! No _fight_?! Why did we go through all that trouble to _save_ you if you're not going to beat someone up?"

The Avatar just grinned to herself and shook her head, looking out into the airy expanse beyond the saddle of their bison mount. Though it was true that she hoped for a peaceful solution, she couldn't fix this nagging sensation of foreboding stirring around in her gut. It made her clutch the lightning earpiece in her pocket just a little tighter…and hope she wouldn't have to _use_ it.

…

Flash HQ, Republic City

Cisco sat on the edge of his seat, waiting as Firestorm and the Flash faced off in a specialized underground fighting cage. "Get 'im, Barry!"

The speedster smirked and charged for the firebender, the latter taking to the skies and sending several fireballs in Barry's direction, all of which were dodged with practiced ease. When Firestorm sent a stream of flame to create a curve, he forced Flash to arc around the fire and run up the side of the cage. Several more flame attacks flew in Barry's direction before the Flash returned fire with one of his own: a low-charge lightning strike that nicked the hybrid in the shoulder. Flipping backwards midair, Firestorm regained his balance a moment later only to be tackled out of the air by the red-suited speedster.

On the way down, Firestorm twisted his body and managed to dislodge Barry, following the counter with a differently-shaped fireball aimed just next to his calculated impact point. When it hit, a small explosion erupted, and Barry was flung back into the bars. Groaning, he pushed himself to a sitting position as Firestorm touched down and separated in a burst of orange flame.

Ronnie marched up to Barry and held out his hand. "You okay?"

The speedster looked up at him and took it. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little disoriented." His brows furrowed. "How did you do that? That explosion?"

"Oh, it's uh, something the professor taught me."

Barry arched an eyebrow. "Professor?"

"It's his new pet name for me," the spirit answered, not sounding peeved in the slightest. "I suppose he figured that if I kept insisting on calling him _Ronald_ —" he emphasized his full name on purpose, "—he could call me 'Professor,' assuming that would irritate me." His head shook as he shrugged. "On the contrary, I find it rather flattering."

Barry grinned and shook his head as he walked away, pulling his cowl back and striding toward Cisco. He took one look around the underground space and frowned. "Where's Asami?"

Cisco looked up at him. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Caitlin scooted from a nearby desk. "She's paying a visit to RCPD headquarters. Something about…returning something to someone?"

Barry frowned in confusion, then gaped slightly as realization hit him. "Oh…"

"Dude, you okay?" Cisco asked.

"Yeah, I'm just…I don't think we should expect Asami back for a while."

He didn't elaborate on why, and they didn't ask. They knew not to when he got that look thinking about his sister.

…

Police HQ

"Asami, you came."

The tycoon looked up and resisted the urge to flinch when her father took the seat across from her, not only because of everything he'd done, but because he looked so… _old_. In a space of barely four years, her father's once-striped hair had gone all gray, and the age lines across his face had deepened to such a high degree, she very nearly didn't recognize him. Her jaw tightened as he settled into his chair, an expression of profound sadness seeming permanently etched into his features.

"I'm here to return these," she said with a note of fire in her voice as she pushed a stack of sealed letters to his side of the table.

Hiroshi looked down at the stack. "You never opened them."

"Stop writing me," Asami ordered. "I never want to _see_ or hear from you again."

And that, she thought as she rose from her seat, was that. Or so she thought.

"Please, just let me say one thing, then I'll never contact you again."

She hesitated for a moment, looking off to the side, teetering on the edge of a wall where neither side seemed particularly appealing. And then a small, familiar voice entered her head.

 _"—he's your_ dad _, 'Sami. Whatever he's done in the past…that's gotta count for_ something _."_

With a sigh and a frown, she sat back down, but refused to face her father.

"I can't forgive myself for all the horrible things I've done," he said simply, "and I never expect _you_ to forgive me. I tore our family apart and destroyed our good name…but in a life of regret, you're the _one_ thing I look back on…that makes me smile."

Asami turned her head away from him to hide her trembling lower lip.

"I just want you to know I'm so _proud_ of you, Asami."

She saw him smile in her peripheral vision.

" _You_ are the greatest thing I ever created."

Her balance on the wall faltered further, Barry's voice ringing in her ears as tears streamed down her face.

"— _he's your_ dad _—"_

A moment later, she was up and practically running out of the station, unable to remain in his presence lest she act on the volatile emotions thrumming through her veins. She needed time, time to think and process everything first. For now, she'd have to stay atop the wall. And call someone for a ride. One name came to mind. She pulled an earpiece from her pocket and pressed a particular Morse combination into its single button.

"Hello?"

"B-Barry? I uh…need a pickup."

"Asami? What's wrong?"

Her throat closed briefly as she bit down on her lower lip. "Please just come get me," she said in a broken whisper.

"Okay. Okay, I'll be right there."

She didn't have to wait long at all. Barely twenty seconds later, the station was gone, and she felt two arms cradling her body as she was carried toward the waterfront, away from the city and all the noise. The Yue Bay lighthouse's top level gained two new tenants about a minute after she'd called, one sobbing violently into the chest of the other, who could do nothing but hold his big sister and pray it would be enough.

…

Southeast Earth Empire territory

"I see it! Zaofu! We _made_ it!" Meelo's tone and expression got a lot less excited when he looked through his spyglass a second time. "And a bunch of _other_ people are here, too."

Korra stared in horror at the sheer numbers of soldiers and war machines arrayed against the city of the Metal Clan. "Oh no. I hope we're not too late."

It was only a few minutes' walk from the landing zone she and the others had been ushered to before the airbenders and Avatar entered a room containing the southern half of the Beifong family. Most of them, anyway.

Suyin recognized her immediately and lit up in relief. "Korra? I can't believe it—" she pulled the younger woman into an embrace, "—where have you been?" She pulled away. "You disappeared; everyone was so _worried_."

Korra's expression turned grave. "I'll tell you the whole story later. Right now, I want to help you _stop_ Kuvira. What can I do?"

…

Yue Bay lighthouse, Republic City

It was nearly ten full minutes before Asami was coherent enough to explain what had happened to Barry. When she finished, it was another two minutes before he was able to reply.

"I don't know what I would do if placed in your position. Yeah, I've been betrayed before, by one of the men I trusted the most, but…my _real_ father never wavered when it came to me, and Eddie—Eobard—never loved me to _begin_ with. With Hiroshi…I dunno. Maybe he really _has_ changed. Maybe he was just too bitter and angry to realize his mistakes before, and being in jail gave him time enough to cool off and see reason. He wouldn't be the first for that to happen to."

"Maybe," she replied in a hoarse, quiet voice.

"But?"

Her green eyes slid shut, liquid sliding from them. "I…I don't know. I just…need some quiet. Some alone time, I think." Asami looked up at him. "Is that okay?"

Barry smiled down at her. "Are you kidding?" he asked softly. "Whatever you need, sis. I'm here for you."

Asami managed a shaky smile. "Thanks, Bear."

…

Zaofu

"How did things get so bad between you and Kuvira? I thought she was your protégé."

Suyin frowned sadly. "She was _more_ than that. She was like a daughter to me. I took her in when she was eight years old and nourished her talents. Kuvira was smart, a natural leader, and quickly rose through the ranks." She looked down. "I saw myself in her."

Korra looked over at the older woman. "What happened?"

Suyin turned to Korra with a grim expression. "Three years ago, after the fall of the Earth Queen, Raiko and Tenzin came to see me. They were…concerned about the chaotic state of the Earth Kingdom, and asked me to intervene." She frowned, though in sadness or regret, Korra couldn't tell. "I refused. I told them that if we marched into Ba Sing Se with an army, we'd be seen as conquerors, not peacekeepers, and be greeted with conflict." Her jaw tightened. "Kuvira disagreed. She saw it as an opportunity to 'change things,' and make the Earth Kingdom…" she sighed, "more like _us_."

Suyin's head shook. "I told her it would never happen. I…didn't realize at the time, but that moment created a rift between us. Kuvira turned my own _son_ against me, and together they plotted behind my back. They, and the majority of my security forces, stole our airships for their scheme and made for Ba Sing Se. I warned her that if she ever came back, she would _not_ be welcomed." Her left cheek twitched. "She replied that _when_ she returned, it would be 'on her own terms.'" Another sigh. "Kuvira and Baatar left that day with Varrick, my security force, and a few of Zaofu's wealthiest citizens.

"After Kuvira proved herself by stabilizing Ba Sing Se, Raiko and the other world leaders made her the provisional head of the Earth Kingdom. Once she refused to step down, I _knew_ it was only a matter of time until she made her way back here."

Korra looked over at her. "I want to fix this."

Suyin turned to her with a hard look. "You can. Go into the Avatar State and demolish her army. Remove Kuvira from power once and for all."

Korra looked away. "Fighting is something the _old_ me would do…but that always made things _worse_." She turned back to Suyin. "Let me _talk_ with Kuvira. Maybe I can reason with her."

Suyin's gaze became fiery. "Kuvira doesn't _listen_ to reason." She turned away and started walking. "But I suppose you'll find that out yourself soon enough."

The leader of the Metal Clan stormed off, fists clenched, leaving Korra feeling like a ship stranded at sea. With a heavy sigh and a slump of her shoulders, the Avatar went back inside and prepared herself for a long night.

…

Next day

Avatar Korra Park, Republic City

Birds and nature and wind and trees all sang together among the copious citizens visiting the park. Some deep in meditation, others performing water dances or playing with children. Some, like the gray-and-red clad woman sitting on a white stone bench, hands in her lap, were simply too lost in thought to take it all in. Notions and feelings passed through her mind like frightened rats as one possibility after the next flitted through her consciousness.

 _Fact: Hiroshi Sato is the man who brought me into this world. Fact: he built the corporate empire that funds my future and heroes like the Flash._ Her fingers tightened around each other. _Fact: he betrayed his own legacy to fund and supply a terrorist madman and his organization. Fact: he turned on_ me _when I decided to go against that organization. Fact: he threatened and would've_ killed _my friends to achieve his own ends._ Her features softened slightly. _Fact: before today, it'd been four_ years _since I last saw him. Fact: time, space, and silence can change people. Fact: he realizes that what he did was wrong._

Asami looked up at a nearby table and chairs to see a father playing Pai Sho with his daughter—just like she had with Hiroshi. A small smile curved her lips.

 _Fact: he still loves me._

She smiled wider and rose from the bench, an enormous sense of clarity filling her veins.

 _Fact…_ I _still love_ him _…because he's my father._

Her eyes closed briefly as she hailed a taxi.

 _Thank you, Barry._

…

Zaofu outskirts

"We have an unexpected guest." Baatar, Jr. turned to Korra with a smile. "The Avatar is here to see you."

Kuvira, who was speaking with several advisors, nodded them away and turned to Korra and her fiancé, approaching her with a smile that seemed to contain genuine warmth. "Korra. It's such an honor to see you again. The last I heard, you were still healing in the South Pole."

Korra shrugged. "Well, I'm feeling much better now."

"That's _wonderful_ news."

"I'm here to ask you to back down," she said very simply and calmly. She waved a hand at the city. "Please, take your army and leave."

Kuvira's eyes narrowed slightly as her jaw tightened and head tilted down a little. "I think we _both_ know that's not going to happen."

Korra's eyebrows knitted together as a determined glint entered her eyes. "I can't let you take Zaofu."

Kuvira sighed. "Look, I was tasked with bringing stability to the Earth Kingdom. Zaofu is the last holdout. Why should I treat it differently than any other state?"

"What you're doing isn't right."

She let sympathy leak into her features. "I understand you're just trying to do Su a favor, but you can't come to me as I'm on the verge of reuniting my nation and tell me to stop. The world was descending into chaos while you were gone."

Korra looked down.

"In order to fix it, I had to make some tough decisions."

She frowned. "I know what _that's_ like." She looked back up at Kuvira. "I've had _plenty_ of people mad at me about decisions _I've_ made."

"Exactly," Kuvira replied, drawing closer to her. "Korra, if you _really_ want to help—" she put a hand on the Avatar's shoulder, "—go back to Su and try to talk some sense into her. Let's call a temporary truce. I won't make _any_ moves until you talk to her and get back to me."

Korra glanced away. "Maybe that _will_ be for the best."

…

Police HQ, Republic City

Asami watched and waited as her father seated himself in silence.

"You came back," he remarked simply.

Her green eyes narrowed. "When I first came here, it was because I wanted to tell you face-to-face that I never wanted to see or hear from you again. I wanted my words to hurt you so that you would know how you hurt me."

His face fell slightly. "I'm sorry."

"But—when I saw you, it wasn't anger I felt." Her voice softened. "It was sadness." Her head tilted down. "You tainted our past and destroyed our future together."

"I want to make amends."

She interrupted. "I'm not sure I'll _ever_ be able to forgive you…but that doesn't mean I shouldn't _try_." Asami reached under the table and pulled something from a bag, laying out a circular board with checkered squares laid across its surface. She smiled a little. "I thought we could play some Pai Sho…like we used to."

In the next second, Hiroshi's face lit up in the brightest smile she'd seen him have since her mother died, and in an _instant_ , so many lines of age and care were lifted from his features. Without another word, they settled down into a familiar rhythm of moves and countermoves, no longer arrayed against each other, but _with_ each other. Now, and hopefully forever into the future.

…

Zaofu

"Where's Su? I have to talk to her."

Baatar, Sr. turned to Korra with a grim expression. "She's not here. She took Wing and Wei. They're going to sneak into Kuvira's camp and put an end to this."

Korra's blue eyes widened in horror. "No…"

Minutes later, as the Avatar attempted to mediate a very heated debate about Suyin's mission between Jinora and Opal—who were understandably at odds—she interrupted one of their spats.

"We have no idea where your mom is," she told the older airbender, "or what her plan is. If we go charging into Kuvira's camp, we could get them all captured, or _worse_." Her tone softened. "All we can do now is wait."

Seconds later, the city's PA system streamed static before coming online, Kuvira's voice filling the airwaves. "Attention citizens of Zaofu. Your leader, Su Beifong, attempted to attack me tonight while I slept, ignoring the terms of our truce. Luckily, I now have her and her assault team in custody."

"No," Opal whispered.

"Rest assured," Kuvira continued, "that I will not take revenge on the peaceful citizens of Zaofu as long as your remaining representatives meet me outside the city at dawn to offer the full and unconditional surrender of your city. That is all."

It took about two solid seconds before Opal snapped. "Korra, you _can't_ let Kuvira get away with this! We have to go break out Mom and my brothers!"

"You swore an oath of non-aggression when you became an airbender," Jinora pointed out with a near-scowl. "You _can't_ just attack Kuvira."

"I don't _care_ about the oath! I have to save my _family_."

"No," Korra interrupted Opal with a hand on her shoulder, "Jinora is right. Your mom attacked the camp. Kuvira was just defending herself."

Opal shrugged her hand off with an affronted glare. "Defending herself? She was going to attack our city! I can't _believe_ you're refusing to fight!"

Before either party could say another word, Meelo interrupted indignantly. "Why is that loudspeaker lady talking when I'm trying to _sleep_?!"

"Korra," Baatar, Sr. said, "what are we going to do?"

"Jinora and I will go talk to Kuvira at dawn and…maybe we can work something out." She turned to Opal. "I _promise_ I will do everything I can to keep the peace."

"I'll go with you," Opal volunteered.

"We'll go too," said Ikki for her and Meelo.

"No," Jinora interrupted. "Dad told us to find Korra and we found her. Now, you need to stay safe."

"Come on, let us _help_."

Korra turned to the youngest airbenders. "I can't risk anyone else being captured. You can stay with Baatar and Huan while I work this out with Kuvira." She turned to Baatar. "Make sure they get back to Tenzin safely if anything goes wrong."

The older man nodded, but Meelo was far from satisfied.

"Aw, man!" he pouted loudly. "When am I gonna see some _action_?"

Korra frowned and straightened up, looking out at the lights from the army encamped outside the city. Her right hand's fingers drifted to her pocket, fingertips brushing against the metal object inside like a nervous twitch.

 _Not too soon, kid. I really hope not too soon._

…

Sato Estate, Republic City

Barry's head snapped up from the book he was reading when he heard a door click closed somewhere downstairs. He clambered out of bed to march over to the stairs, watching Asami from behind as she ascended to her room with all the stealth of a cat.

"Well, you're out late."

Asami nearly jumped out of her skin, heaving a relieved sigh when she saw Barry standing behind her. She smirked and kept climbing. "Had to…ride around a little. Clear my head."

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

She approached him with a small smile. "I did. That, and so much more."

Barry smiled and curled an arm around her shoulders. "Tell me."

Asami smiled wider and stared off into the distance. "I played Pai Sho with my father today…for the first time in over four years." She wiped tears from her eyes. "For the first time in four years…when I think about him, I don't feel anger or resentment or sadness; I feel… _hope_. I _see_ hope in our future." She smiled up at him. "Thank you, for helping to clear my mind enough to see it."

"Hey," he replied, prodding her cheek with his index, "that's what family's for."

Asami nodded and leaned into him as a long silence fell over the pair.

"Watch something come in the morning and completely wreck our day—ow!"

"Barry, I'm feeling euphoric right now. Don't jinx it."

A low rumble of laughter vibrated through his chest. "Yes, ma'am."

Another silence.

"Barry?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

He drew his arms closer around her. "I love you too, sis."

…

Next day

Zaofu outskirts

With a cold feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, Korra approached the Earth Empire's battle lines with Jinora and Opal in tow. At its head stood a statuesque Kuvira, with Suyin and the Beifong twins in platinum capsules behind her. They came to a stop some distance away. Opal fired the first shot.

"Release them _now_!"

Kuvira, by contrast, was completely calm. "If Su agrees to bow to me and turn over Zaofu, she and the rest of your family will not be harmed."

"Never!" Suyin answered for them. "I'll _never_ bow to you!"

"There must be _some_ way for us to resolve this," Korra insisted.

"I've already laid out my terms," Kuvira pointed out, "and I think they're _very_ reasonable." Her head tilted downward. "After all, Su did try to take me out during our 'peaceful' negotiations."

"You call bringing an army to threaten our city 'peaceful'?!" one of the twins shouted.

"Where's Bolin?" Opal asked, a worried note to her tone. "I know he would _never_ go along with this."

"Bolin is with my fiancé working on something very important," Kuvira answered, still cold as ice. "But I assure you, he's on board with my plans. You two have been apart for some time. I guess you don't realize how much Bolin has grown up." Her voice sharpened. "Now _turn over_ Zaofu."

Korra discreetly reached into her pocket and clicked the earpiece on. "I can't just let you take the city!"

"Avatar Korra," Kuvira began, as if speaking to a belligerent child, "you are interfering with internal Earth Empire business, and letting your _personal_ feelings get in the way of reason. Zaofu cannot continue to rule itself. They have been hoarding their riches and technology too long. I'm here to distribute those resources fairly throughout the nation. _This_ is about equality."

Opal jutted her chin out. " _You_ don't care about equality. This is about control!" She turned to Korra. "Just take her down. You _know_ it's the right thing to do. You _have_ to stop this."

"The _only_ way you're going to keep me from marching into Zaofu is if you _physically_ stop me," Kuvira shouted. "Now what are you going to do?"

Korra half-scowled and clenched her fists, voice hardening. "It looks like you're not giving me a choice."

Kuvira smiled and bowed her head. "Fine." She turned to her forces and raised her voice. "I want you all to know that I would never ask any of you to do something that I'm not willing to do myself, so rather than risk _your_ lives… _I_ will fight the Avatar one-on-one." She turned back to the Avatar. "Korra, if you win, then you can do whatever you want with Zaofu. But after I beat you, I want you out of my business for _good_. I'm the one who brought peace to the Earth Empire, _not_ you. You're not relevant here anymore."

"Fine," Korra replied in a nearly bored sigh. "You wanna fight the Avatar? Then let's finish this. Right here. Right now."

A long, tense silence passed before it was broken by Jinora.

"Are you _really_ ready to fight her?"

Korra sighed. "Just _stay back_ and let me handle this. It's been a while—" she smirked malevolently, "—but I got a _lot_ of pent-up rage."

"Don't mess around," said Opal. "Kuvira is too good. Just go into the Avatar State and get it over with."

"No, I'm _only_ going to use that as a last resort."

Jinora laid a hand on her arm. "Be careful."

The airbenders left her to move back toward the city, the Avatar facing off with the Great Uniter as she cracked her joints in preparation for the coming fight. She fell into a standard firebending stance as Kuvira drew away from her soldiers.

"Use whatever you want," Kuvira said. "All the elements, the Avatar State, anything you need." She smirked tauntingly and fell into a stance. "I know you're a little _rusty_."

"Enough talk!"

Without another word, Korra lunged forward with several fire punches, each attack dodged with pristine form and precision. A fire kick and following punch were also avoided before she switched elements and kicked a chunk of earth at Kuvira. She ducked under that one too and lunged forward to kick an earth wall from the ground and send a chunk of it into Korra's lower chest. She yelped and stumbled back only to have two metal cuffs placed around her left wrist and ankle. Kuvira used them to fling her like a ragdoll and plant her side-first on the burning sand.

Behind her, the Earth Empire army cheered for their commander, who was laughing.

"Looks like the Avatar is a little off her game," she taunted.

Korra pushed herself upright with a groan and turned to face her again.

"Don't let her get you frustrated!" Opal shouted. "She _wants_ you to make a mistake!"

Frowning in determination, Korra charged forward and sent a massive rock pillar careening toward her opponent, following that strike with an air blast sent toward Kuvira's next step. She came down with a pointed air kick that blew a hole in the sand next to Kuvira's last position, and touched down to throw flames from a side thrust kick. The move left her exposed to an earth sweep that planted her back-first on the ground. She sprung upright just in time for another trip in the opposite direction to send her right back down. Rising to her feet, Korra threw a fire uppercut and followed with a cross that sent a pillar of wind past Kuvira's armored body.

Leaping to her left, she threw a flying fire kick, air hook, and earth kick, followed by more fire, air, and earth in an attempt to wear down the commander's defenses. Instead, she found her right foot encased in earth, leaving her open to a metal band fitting itself around her eyes and an earth projectile slamming into her upper ribs. She flew back fifteen feet to drag back-first through the sand, breathing heavily and yanking the metal band off her head. She pushed herself halfway upright and looked over at Kuvira, who was smiling smugly in a deep stance. Steeling herself for more pain and settling on for the long haul, Korra hauled herself to her feet and let the fire fly.

…

Flash HQ, Republic City

Asami yawned as she strode into the Flash's underground base, marching toward the Cortex and frowning when she didn't see him there. She turned to Cisco, who was working on what looked like a set of goggles over by his workstation.

"Hey, Cisco, where's Barry?"

He didn't answer, and was humming some inane tune to himself rather loudly.

Asami rolled her eyes and banged on a metal desk rather loudly. "Cisco!"

He jumped clear out of his seat and snapped to face her. "Don't _do_ that!"

She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. "Where's Barry?"

"Barry? Uh…he got a call on his earpiece, then snagged a new ring and took off like a bat out of hell. I didn't ask why." He nodded at Asami. "Considering what happened two days ago, I thought it had to do with you."

Asami's eyes narrowed and brows knitted as she pulled her own upgraded piece from her pocket and put it on. The static stopped a few seconds later. "Barry?"

"I can't talk right now!"

Her green eyes widened in alarm. He _never_ used that tone. "Barry, what's wrong?"

"Korra's in trouble, called me about five minutes ago! She's facing down Kuvira for the fate of Zaofu, and I don't know how long she can hold!"

"What?! Barry, that's almost _five hundred_ miles!"

"Please, Asami, just get off the line! I _need_ to focus. I will _call_ you when I get a second, I _promise_. Flash out."

The line went dead a second later, leaving Asami slack-jawed and Cisco thoroughly confused.

…

Zaofu outskirts

The minutes passed one by one as a multitude of bruises formed on Korra's thoroughly battered body. She was still fighting hard, but Kuvira was countering more and more frequently, clearly wanting to put an end to this quickly. Several flat metal projectiles were thrown in the Avatar's direction, but Korra deftly managed to dodge the first salvo, the second redirected into the ground with a quick airbending trick. She launched herself into the air with an earth pillar and came down with two powerful air strikes. Both were dodged, and gravity worked against her when Kuvira sent a massive cubic chunk of rock careening into her body.

It shattered on contact with her, and she rolled to a stop on the ground, groaning with her efforts. She charged back in, taking the fight to closer quarters with several air and fire attacks. Her left wrist was again encased in metal and used to catapult her into the air and slam her down again—hard. A pained cry came from her throat as she landed, and she pushed herself onto all fours just in time to roll away from a spiked earth pillar. She lifted an earth wall to block several boulders and sent it flying in Kuvira's direction only to have it sent back even stronger.

Growling in effort, she held back the massive projectile through sheer force of will for a few seconds before it exploded in her face, several of the smaller shards causing shallow cuts in her upper arm and legs. Korra lay on the ground for several seconds, panting.

"Come on, Avatar," Kuvira taunted. "Get up! Show me what you've got!"

"We have to help her," Opal told Jinora, starting to sprint for the fight.

"No!" Korra ordered. "Stay back! I can handle this!"

Kuvira smiled in response, either in smugness or respect, and resumed her stance. Over the minutes that followed, more and more attacks were exchanged, one after the next sending Korra further and further into full-body agony. She rolled to a stop after the last ragdoll toss, eyes closed and bruises covering every inch of her.

"You _have_ to go into the Avatar State!" Suyin shouted from her capsule. "Do it!"

Korra's eyes drifted halfway open to see Kuvira descending on her like a torpedo. The breaths of thousands of soldiers were held at once.

And the Avatar's eyes opened pure white.

Simultaneous blasts of air came from both her palms, sending Kuvira rocketing halfway across the battlefield and dragging to a stop. Korra catapulted herself forward and sent the commander back with another typhoon-class gale that sent her flying across the other half of the field. Earth tore itself from the ground as a mini-twister levitated her forty feet into the air, massive chunks of brown rock hovering all around her as she prepared to pummel her opponent into dust. Time slowed for her, knowing that she would in all likelihood be ending Kuvira's life with this. And when the commander looked up to see her impending doom, she saw—

Herself, eyes glowing, staring right back at her.

Korra's eyes widened and stopped glowing as a startled yelp came from her throat and her superior command of the elements left her. In its place was overwhelming pain, stretching across every muscle, bone, and joint in her body. On her left, Jinora said something to Opal, but she didn't hear. It was enough just trying to stay awake.

She did hear when Kuvira said, "I _knew_ you were weak."

And in response, she lunged with all the effort she had left, finding her feet leaving the ground when dual metal cuffs took her wrists and levitated her off the ground. She was slammed down back-first a few seconds later, causing a body-sized crater in the rocky floor below. The broken rocks were pulled up around her like a prison, but she had no more strength to fight. Black spots swam in every inch of her vision, her blinks barely clearing anything out as she fought to stay awake. Kuvira marched toward her with slow, methodical steps, a deadly expression on her face as she came to a stop some ten feet away.

Six sharp clangs sounded from her figure as Korra's blurry vision attempted to compensate. By the way the sun was glinting off the hovering projectiles, they were metal, _very_ sharp—and currently aimed at her head. Korra couldn't cry, couldn't give a final request. She couldn't even beg for mercy—not that she ever _would_ have. She could only stare in half-unconscious horror as the "Great Uniter" prepared to behead her with all the emotion of a dead stone. To her left, Jinora and Opal drew back for a massive combined air blast.

They never got the chance.

Kuvira stopped short when a sound like a rushing twister came from behind Korra, and her eyes widened a moment before she threw up a rectangular earth wall between her and the Avatar. Korra didn't know why until a split-second later, when a red blur shattered the wall and sent Kuvira flying backwards. The blur rolled on contact with the ground and slid to a stop a moment later, golden lightning periodically sparking off various parts of his body. A long, shuddering breath came from her throat as she surrendered to unconsciousness, a familiar feeling of warm safety permeating every inch of her agonized body.

…

The Scarlet Speedster glared and scowled at the rising metalbender before glancing back at Korra to make sure she was all right. While Kuvira wasn't looking, he turned his gaze toward the airbenders and discreetly nodded in Korra's direction. Opal nodded back, and he refocused on the Earth Empire's commander as she dusted herself off.

"The Flash," she said with a smile. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure."

He smiled sarcastically. "The pleasure's all mine."

"I'm sure," Kuvira replied just as sarcastically. "What are you doing here, Flash? It's a long way from Republic City, and I don't remember asking you here." Her arms crossed sternly. "What's more, you're interfering with Earth Empire business, thereby voiding an agreement between myself and the Avatar, giving _me_ free reign to attack Zaofu."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know anything about any agreement, and I don't remember agreeing to a damn thing, so technically—"

" _Technically_ , you have no jurisdiction or business in our borders. What's more, if the Avatar requested your presence, which is the only likely possibility, then you _must_ have known about our deal: she defeats me, I walk away; _I_ defeat _her_ , I get Zaofu."

"Defeated _doesn't_ mean _dead_ ," he growled. Barry snarled and started pacing around Kuvira. "She was _already_ done, Kuvira. There was _no_ reason _whatsoever_ to finish her off, but you were gonna do it anyway. Know what we call that where I come from?"

Kuvira snorted, glaring at him. "Please, enlighten me."

He came to a stop on the opposite side he'd started from and stared straight at her. "Murder."

Another snort. "Really? Because in this case, I would call it execution of a lawful combatant."

"That's assuming, of course, that this is a lawful war. Thing is, I don't think wars are considered lawful when they're engineered by power-hungry _criminals_."

A disbelieving murmur drifted through the army as they likely considered how their commander would punish the intruding metahuman.

"That is, of course, essentially what you are. Army, no army, Red Lotus, Triple Threat Triad." He shrugged. "Makes no difference, because you have one single trait in common with _all_ of them."

"And what's that?" she snarled.

"The belief that might…makes right." His head shook. "It doesn't."

Kuvira smiled sardonically. "That's rich coming from you. By all indications, you're one of the most powerful beings on the _planet_ , certainly more so than the _Avatar_." She waved vaguely behind herself. "And unlike me, nobody appointed _you_ to watch over Republic City."

"Nobody appointed you to be an _empress_ , either. And the _real_ difference between you and me…is the fact that I have power, but don't lord it over people. I don't hold it over their heads like a sword ready to drop the _moment_ one of 'em steps out of line." The Flash shrugged. "At least…not most days." He held a finger up. "But today? I think I'm gonna make an exception. See, we're gonna make a _new_ agreement." He pointed squarely at Kuvira, then at the crowd assembled at her right. "You, and your entire army are gonna tuck tail and run all the way back to Ba Sing Se." He smirked malevolently. "And _I_ won't bash all of your faces in."

Disbelieving laughter carried through the army and its commander as well, Kuvira pinching the bridge of her nose to steady herself. "Oh, Flash…the news _did_ say you had an _awful_ sense of humor, but…" her head tilted briefly, "I kind of like it." Her smile stretched wider. "But come on, let's be real. You're fast, but I have an army of _thousands_. You have _no_ chance."

The Flash's smile turned mocking. "Oh really?" He swaggered toward her a few steps. "And, who exactly do you think I've been fighting this whole time, hm?" He held his arms out to the side. "Let's count 'em off. Blackout." He flipped his fingers out one by one. "Girder, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, the Weather Wizards, Blacksmith, the Mist, the Reverse-Flash, metahumans from _another_ Earth entirely—and—and take a guess at who's still standing?" He waved around vaguely, mentally smirking as he saw a flicker of doubt in Kuvira's green eyes.

And then her gaze hardened, and she jabbed an armored arm in the Flash's direction. "Enough. I will not continue to debate this with a—with a—" Her eyes closed and features stretched into a smile that was half respect, half exasperation. "Oh…well played, Flash. Well played indeed."

He cocked his head in confusion until he glanced behind her and saw that Korra was being airlifted out—literally. His momentary distraction prevented him from dodging the earth pillar that slammed into his back and sent him flying into a pair of metal cuffs that slung him against the ground. The metal expanded to pierce the rock below and anchor him to the ground. The Flash struggled and grunted against the restraints, but Kuvira's bending held them in place.

"Distracting me with threats so your friends could get the Avatar to safety." She levitated more metal blades off her arms. "It was a good bluff, but unfortunately, one that simply switched you…for the Avatar."

She raised her hands to deliver the deathblow, but hesitated when he smirked up at her, golden lightning dancing in his eyes.

"Who said I was bluffing?"

The Flash's arms vibrated at blinding speeds, and a massive whir followed a moment later as his forearm caught her across the chest, the speedster tossing her back-first into a mecha suit and letting her fall to the ground as he ran away and slid to a stop. Kuvira breathed heavily as she was hauled to her feet.

"No! We have to save them!"

Barry looked up to see Opal shouting down at her family from the back of a bison.

"Opal!" Suyin called. "Get out of here, we'll be fine! Just _go_!"

"I'll be back for you!" she cried. "I love you!"

Kuvira smirked at their departure and threw her fist up in the air. "Zaofu is ours!"

"Not so fast."

Another high-speed throw sent Kuvira flying into a cluster of soldiers, who pulled her upright a few seconds later. She scowled and pointed at Barry.

"Armored division two, target the Flash! The rest of you, take the city!"

"Over my dead body!"

Kuvira smirked. "If you insist. Fire!"

Two mecha suits at the head of the army fired arcs of electricity in his direction, both dodged at the last second as he ran toward clusters of soldiers. The Flash weaved in and out of their ranks, throwing punches, sliding under legs, barreling through armored bodies four, five, _six_ at a time. He managed to topple an entire platoon of soldiers before they started taking him seriously. The soldiers charged at him by the dozen, but they never stood a chance. Boulders and metal flew at him by the hundred, but he dodged everything, even managing to throw a few back as one move blurred into the next. When they started to pull back, he knew something was off, and turned around just in time to roll away from a flamethrower blast.

Realigning himself, he ran from a squad of four mecha suits, two actual tanks shelling his path and making him stumble as he tried to avoid their shots. One shockwave managed to knock him off his feet, and he rolled to a stop some two hundred feet from the pursuing mechs. He eyed the central one carefully.

 _Never done this before. This is either gonna go perfectly or_ really _badly._

Taking and releasing a long, determined breath, Barry charged his target and vibrated his entire body, then leapt at it going full-speed. He could hear the pilot inside scream in sudden fear as the Flash phased through his suit, solidified the upper half of his body just long enough to grab him, then vibrated the both of them through the mecha's armored form. A split-second after he made the leap, the Flash was on top of the wide-eyed pilot, who was staring up at him blankly.

Barry just blinked and shrugged. "Huh."

His fist came down on the man's head an instant later, knocking him clean unconscious just in time to avoid attacks from the other three mechs. He spiraled around them in lightning-trailed blurs until one of them decided to throw an arm in his path. He flew back fifteen feet, feeling something crack on impact and groaning as he shakily pushed himself upright. The Flash's eyes flew from one suit to another, looking for a weak point. Narrowing his gaze, he focused once more and charged their firing line. Flames streaked from their arm cannons as he got within range, and in response, he leapt clear over the arcs, both arms vibrating madly.

The Flash flew between two suits, phasing his hands through and yanking both pilots onto the ground, then punching them out just as quickly. An artillery tank nearly scored a direct hit when he slowed down to make the last pilot overconfident, but he used the resulting smoke to cover his approach and run around the last mech in a circle. His speed increased by the second until he was just an indistinct blur trailing a ring of gold lightning. His right arm came back and curled into a "C" as he yelled in effort, swinging it forward at the end of the movement and sending a concentrated bolt of lightning into its head module, shorting out the complex electronics inside.

It sputtered and smoked, falling over a second later as the overload tripped an internal breaker. Breathing heavily, Barry's heart sunk as he looked out at Zaofu and all the _thousands_ of soldiers he'd failed to stop.

 _I can't…can't win this one._

He glanced back toward the remaining tanks only to run off into the surrounding mountains, dodging shells as he went. He was out of range in less than a minute, and catching his breath moments later. Remembering his promise after recuperating somewhat, he tapped his earpiece and waited.

"Barry!" Asami shrieked. "Where have you _been_?!"

"Fighting," he said breathlessly. "Fighting a lotta guys." A hard breath was exhaled. "It's been a long day." He gulped solidly. "And I got a feeling it's about to get longer."

"What are you talking about?"

"Kuvira beat Korra solidly. She and a couple of airbenders flew out of here while I distracted the army, but now they've taken Zaofu. I can't beat them all, not even with all my power…but I _can_ take Kuvira down, cut off the head of the snake."

"Barry, that's crazy."

"But you gotta admit, it might just work."

"That's a big maybe, Bear. At least wait for backup. Firestorm is en route. I sent him as soon as you told me about Zaofu."

His head shook. "No. No, there's no time. If I let her get entrenched, there's no way I'll get her alone, and it's better if we don't have a flaming metahuman tipping them all off. They think I ran away."

"Ever think that maybe you _should_ run away?"

Barry's jaw clenched. "She hurt Korra."

Silence. "So that's a no." A sigh. "Barry…for the love of Raava, please be careful. She will _not_ hesitate to kill you if she gets the chance."

"I know, but then, which of my enemies ever did? Flash out."

Barry took a deep breath, slowly releasing it as he readjusted his cowl, then taking off toward the city, using the shadows cast by the setting sun to cloak his approach. When he got within range, his molecules vibrated massively, and he phased right through Zaofu's outer wall, looking at his arms and smiling once inside. It didn't take long to find Kuvira. She was the one with the least number of guards, too confident or arrogant to need more than two at a time. At present, she was walking down a long, open street, two guards flanking her. Her previously ruffled hair had been re-tied in its usual military bun, and she strode toward the Beifong Estate with both arms tucked behind her back.

Five seconds after he spotted her, her guards were flung against opposite buildings, and the Flash slid to a stop behind her. Kuvira slowly looked over her shoulder, then turned around fully to face him, glaring. Her guards slowly scrambled to their feet, taking up stances on either side of her. Kuvira held up a hand to stop them.

"Finish securing the city," she ordered. "I'll handle this."

The Flash watched the guards walk away uncertainly, waiting until they were out of sight to speak. "Sending them off was a mistake."

"Oh? Because from my point of view, you might actually be the first fight today that's worth my time." Kuvira smirked and started walking toward him, each starting on opposite ends of the street. "What you told me outside the gates, was that _all_ just a distraction or do you actually _believe_ all that idealistic garbage?"

Flash paced toward her as well, lifting his arms out to his sides in a shrug. "I'm still standing in your way, aren't I?"

Her gaze hardened. "Are you willing to die for those beliefs?"

Barry's jaw clenched as lightning danced in his eyes. "Guess you're about to find out."

He took off like a bolt of lightning, careening toward her and arcing away when she threw up several earth walls in his path and used pieces of them as high-speed projectiles. Chunks of rock and concrete streaked toward him with deadly precision, the Flash weaving under and around them with some difficulty. He managed to snatch two out of the air and throw them back at the metalbending master, the projectiles shattering against her armor and flinging her back a few feet. A look of surprise crossed her features before she smiled outright, a malevolent look in her eyes.

The Flash didn't give her the chance to make a move, streaking behind her and moving constantly to lay out almost two dozen speed punches on her every side in the space of three seconds. He stumbled back a second later, yelping in pain and shaking off his hands. Kuvira smirked and sent an earth pillar smacking him away, following with several falling bits of sharp metal, all of which were dodged as he reassessed his plan of attack. An idea occurred to him, and he placed himself between her and a nearby building as she summoned a car-sized chunk of rock to throw at him.

The projectile was tossed in his direction, and he dodged out of the way just in time for it to smash into the building behind him, exposing broken concrete and bits of rebar. He sprinted for a particularly stout bar, tearing it from its mountings and running for Kuvira. She threw a thin, missile-like rock cylinder in his direction, and he smirked as he shifted his body to the side and held the center of the rebar in the path of the incoming projectile. The flying rock snapped the pole in two, giving him two nicely-sized makeshift kali sticks. The electrified versions would've been better—but this worked too.

Kuvira found that out a second later when she tried to fight and discovered that an angry Flash is _not_ one to be trifled with. Rapid blows of metal against metal reverberated across her body as the Scarlet Speedster bombarded her with attacks on every side, putting dents into her armor and causing bruising _everywhere_. Vengeful fury drove his strikes as he pummeled her, the metalbender screaming in pain and rage as she brought both her arms into the ground hard. The ground around her in a circle shot upward, rushing up to send the Flash flying into the air. Disoriented, he failed to avoid two large rock projectiles that smashed into his body.

He felt something crack in his lower ribs a second before a smaller rock smacked into the side of his head in a graze that took off the upper half of one of his earpieces and probably gave him a minor concussion. He hit the ground hard, trying to push himself upright and failing when she launched the ground up again and sent him flying. Another two boulders were tossed in his direction, but he was ready this time. His arms rotated at blinding speeds, creating dual wind funnels that slowed and eventually stopped the incoming projectiles.

As the rocks fell to the ground, the Flash used the same funnels to slow his own descent and land relatively softly. So focused was he on the landing that he missed Kuvira sending two metal projectiles at his body. They latched onto his legs and pinned him in place long enough for her to encase his torso, legs, and shoulders in steadily compressing rock.

"You can't phase when you can't vibrate," she said smugly. "I'd like to see you try when your entire body is being crushed."

He groaned and breathed heavily as he felt his skeleton giving under the strain of the constricting rocks. His head thrashed about, trying to find some way out of this, when he realized that his arms were still free.

 _This better work…_

His right arm began to vibrate at massive speeds.

"Oh, so you can phase your arm. That won't help your more _important_ bits."

His teeth clenched. "I'm not—trying to phase."

Kuvira gave him a confused look as his arm kept moving faster and faster until golden electricity engulfed the entire appendage. The Flash scowled at the metalbender, drawing back his arm and yelling as he threw it forward. A lance of multi-pronged lightning struck a wide-eyed Kuvira with a crack of thunder, sending her flying back with a pained shout. The rocks crushing him gave way once her concentration was broken, relieved breaths flowing through his lungs as he slowly regained his footing, one hand across his lower ribs. Four metalbenders dropped down to flank a smoking Kuvira as she rose to her feet, the Flash and the Great Uniter glaring at each other.

The Flash shook his head slowly. "This isn't over."

Kuvira shook off a guard that tried to hold her up. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

Barry sent a final glare in her direction, then took off for the outer wall, easily dodging the guards and mecha suits as he phased through the barrier and took off toward Republic City.

…

5 minutes later

A sullen Opal sat across a campfire from a badly beaten Korra, one of the latter's eyes swollen half-shut. The Avatar's eyes closed as she pulled a thin blanket closer around her shoulders, the younger airbender watching her with worry. Opal drew her knees closer to her chest, laying her chin in the gap and watching the fire's flickering light as the other airbenders slept soundly. A sudden gust of wind and flash of light sent Opal nearly jumping out of her skin, one fist clenched in alarm before she stopped halfway to her feet, gaping outright.

The Flash, Republic City's Scarlet Speedster, was standing over the Avatar and slowly falling to one knee over her battered body. The light of the fire flickered over his masked features as he smiled down at her, Opal watching in mute fascination. He laid a gloved hand on her right cheek, stroking it gently, and a moment later, her eyes flickered open, widening in recognition a second later as her lips parted.

"Hey gorgeous," he said softly.

Opal arched an eyebrow. _Wha—_

"You came," Korra whispered back. "You saved me."

"Of course I did." He smiled wider. "That's what we do, remember? We protect each other."

Korra's eyes leaked as her throat worked, managing a watery smile as she reached one bruised arm up to touch his cheek. The Flash gently pushed her touch away, then reached up and slowly lifted his cowl off his face, revealing young features, windswept auburn hair and—

Opal's eyes and jaw went wide. "Barry?" she asked in a whisper.

The speedster glanced over at her and smiled. "Nice to see you again. Wish it were under better circumstances, but…" he shrugged, "you know how it is."

Opal just blinked hard and stared at them blankly, so many pieces of news and memories falling into place. Barry turned back to Korra and let her touch him, each holding the other's cheek in their palm as they leaned toward each other. Opal looked away as their lips met in a slow, tender embrace, parting a moment later as they held each other close, a long-awaited reunion that seemed all the sweeter for their pain.

* * *

AN: Okay, so…not really all that much to say about this chapter except that it obviously covers "The Battle of Zaofu" and ends another story arc. That, and the fact that it's hands-down the longest chapter I've ever written for this story. One thing I will say: Kuvira is quite obviously a brilliant mastermind in her own right, and as such makes a point to account for every possible outcome. She won't forget the Flash's interference anytime soon.

And on that note, I'll say goodbye and _oya_ , _vode_.

\- CDrake


	41. Reunited

Reunited (adj.): having come together again after a period of separation or disunity.

2 days later

The United Republic of Nations

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Barry's arm tightened around the green-clad form of the raven-haired woman dozing in his arms as he enjoyed the warm air currents passing over them, a small smile coming to his face as he looked down at her.

 _Spirits…when did she get so beautiful?_

He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, feeling her stir a moment later.

"Didn't mean to wake you," he whispered.

Korra smiled. "You didn't." Her arms curled around his midsection. "I've been awake for a bit now. Well…half-awake, anyway. Body's been a little out of whack because of my recovery."

Barry frowned a little. "How are you feeling?"

She poked his chest almost scoldingly. "I'm _fine_ , you worry-wart. As usual, you did a brilliant job patching me up."

"Yeah, I might not have _had_ to if you didn't take so many crazy risks."

Korra arched an eyebrow. "Really? _I'm_ taking risks? You're the one who faced down an entire army—by _himself_."

Barry shrugged and smirked. "Touché."

They stared at each other for a while, the airbenders busying themselves elsewhere on Pepper's saddle.

"Can I just…remark on how _right_ this feels?"

Korra smirked at Barry's question and nuzzled his neck. "You could."

"But?"

She looked up at him with a teasing smile. "But then you'd ruin the moment with words. But this—" her arms tightened around him and face pressed further into his shoulder, "—this doesn't require speaking. Or thinking. It just…is."

Barry smiled into her hair, taking a long drag of her dreamily familiar oceanic scent, marred by dust and sand, but still present. "That's good enough for me."

They stayed like that for some minutes until the clouds parted and they saw the parapets of Air Temple Island in the distance. Korra gently extracted herself from his embrace and dashed to the edge of the saddle when she saw a familiar white form, her face splitting into a huge grin as she waved one arm in the air.

"Naga!"

Barry grinned and came up behind her, arms around her midsection as they descended and touched down, then released her. Korra leapt from the saddle and slowed her fall with airbending, finding herself catapulted off the ground when the polar bear dog barreled into her head-first, picking the laughing Avatar off the ground and laying her down a moment later. They embraced warmly, one of Naga's massive paws going around her master for a brief moment before she licked her face and reared up playfully. When the beast finally calmed down enough, Korra hugged her giant head and held her close.

"I missed you _so_ much, girl."

"Mom, Dad!" Meelo shouted as the airbenders dismounted. "We're back! And we got Korra!"

Bumi dashed from the house to lift Korra off the ground. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" He let her down, grinning from ear to ear. "Bum-Ju and I sure missed you."

She smiled back at them. "It's _so_ great to see you again, Bumi." Her gaze turned to the floating spirit. "And you too, Bum-Ju."

Behind them, Tenzin and Pema emerged from the house, embracing Meelo and Ikki.

"Well done, kids," said Tenzin. "I'm proud of you all for finding Korra."

Meelo gave his father a conspiratorial look. "Proud enough to get me my taaaats?" He waggled an eyebrow.

Tenzin turned away with a deadpan expression. "No." The master airbender embraced Korra moments later. "Welcome home."

"I missed you, Tenzin," replied Korra.

They pulled apart a moment later.

"I hate to get right down to business," Tenzin began, "but I want to hear what happened in Zaofu."

Korra's expression fell as she turned away.

Bumi shot his brother a look. "Way to ruin the moment."

"Kuvira's whole army was there," said Opal. "She captured Mom, Dad, _and_ my brothers."

"I thought I was strong enough to stop her," Korra added. "I feel like…such a failure."

Barry frowned from the sidelines.

"No one expected you to handle Kuvira on your own," Tenzin insisted. "It's up to _all_ of us to find a way to deal with her." His expression softened. "We're just glad to have you back."

Barry discreetly cleared his throat, arms crossed.

Tenzin glanced at him and arched an eyebrow. "Well, yes, of course it's _always_ nice to see _you_ , Barry, but you hardly left."

The speedster shrugged, conceding the point.

Opal looked between Barry and Tenzin. "Wait...you knew?"

"Knew?" Tenzin replied with an arched eyebrow. "About what?"

Opal motioned toward the golden ring on Barry's right hand.

Tenzin smirked. "From the very beginning."

Opal gaped, then turned to the other airbenders with a suspicious look in her eyes. "And you?"

Tenzin's children exchanged looks, Ikki shrugging with a smile. "Dad never outright told us, but it's kind of hard to explain all the random blasts of air we used to hear coming from Korra's room all the time."

Korra and Barry instantly turned red.

Opal just shook her head slowly. "I still can't believe I didn't see it before. Seems so obvious now."

Bumi glanced around after a long pause. "Where's Bolin? He's not still on Kuvira's side, is he?"

Opal frowned. "I can't believe he would stay with her after what she did to my family, but we don't know _where_ he is."

"I might be able to help with that."

They all turned to Barry.

"To find Bolin _and_ your folks. I have a friend who…kind of has a knack for locating people."

Tenzin turned to him with a critical gaze. "And you didn't come to me sooner? We could've used this friend to find Korra."

Barry's gaze sharpened as he stood his ground. "First off, he isn't just some tool to be used—"

"That isn't what I meant."

"I know. And secondly, Korra didn't _want_ to be found. Not yet." His ice-blue eyes turned to the woman in question. "She made that _abundantly_ clear to me."

Korra looked down and away.

Tenzin just sent Barry a glare. "So you knew. You knew she was going off to spirits knew where, and you told no one?"

"No," he answered firmly. "Because I trusted her to know what she was doing." Barry sent her a small smile. "That's what friends do."

Tenzin sighed and let the matter go.

"What about this friend?" Opal asked with hopeful eyes. "How can he help find Bolin and my family?"

Barry's lips pursed. "He calls himself Vibe. He's a metahuman like me, but he's an energy bender on steroids. If you have something that someone owned, something they touched or had on them a lot, he can use the residual energy tied to that object to locate them."

"From how far away?" Korra asked curiously.

He shrugged. "We don't know yet. Haven't managed to test the full limits of his abilities, and he's _still_ getting stronger. Maybe from all the way across the world."

The Avatar's eyebrows shot skyward. "Do I know this guy?"

Barry smirked. "I'll give you a hint: apart from me and Bolin, he's the biggest nerd you'll ever meet."

With that, Korra's jaw dropped to the floor, and Barry just laughed.

"Come on," he said, nudging Opal's arm. "I'll take you to go see him."

"Um…okay."

Barry gently grabbed her arm with one hand while the other arm curled securely around her shoulders. He sent a smile at Korra. "See ya later."

They were gone the next second.

…

30 minutes later

Four Elements Hotel, Republic City

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

Asami's face lit up in a smile as she dropped a magazine she was reading and rose to embrace Korra. "Only eighteen _months_." She pulled away a moment later. "It's _so_ good to see you again."

Korra smiled back. "You too."

Asami cocked her head slightly. "And I'm _loving_ the hair."

"I know, right?"

Asami looked behind Korra to see a familiar gray-and-red clad form approaching them from the entrance. "Late, as usual."

Barry grinned. "Ah, you know how it is. Some things never change."

She sighed and shook her head. "Do I _ever_. Come on," she added with a wave. "Mako got us a table at the restaurant."

"Lead the way," Korra replied with a wave, jumping a little when she felt a familiar warmth slip into her hand.

She looked up at him and smiled a little, feeling that same intense rush from the morning after their first date. They both turned forward and followed Asami, staying a few feet behind her as Barry leaned and whispered in Korra's ear.

"It's not just the hair, either. New clothes too. I mean, I know the blue and brown is kinda your thing, but I'm diggin' the darker blue. Matches your eyes better."

Korra blinked and felt a blush rise in her cheeks as he pressed his lips to her temple briefly. A familiar man stood at the end of the table Asami mentioned, facing them and smiling broadly.

"Korra!"

She waved, disengaging from Barry. "Hi, Mako." They hugged for a moment before pulling apart.

And that's when she noticed the obnoxious kid rise on her right, entirely too far into her personal space.

"Hello there—Prince Wu, rightful heir to the throne." He jabbed an elbow back at Mako. "And this guy's boss." Wu chuckled and put a hand to his chest. "I bet he's told you a lot about me."

Korra gave him a bored look. "Nope. Not a thing."

Wu curled an arm around her shoulders, much to her alarm (though more for the prince than herself, given how she could practically _feel_ Barry's tension from behind her). "Then we have _so_ much to talk about." He nudged her into a seat. "You are going to _love_ the food here. I know the chef personally." When a waiter arrived moments later, he jabbed an index up at him. "Let's start with a round of your spicy octopus fritters. And keep the cucumber water flowing!" He shot an uncomfortably flirty look at Korra. "Gotta keep this princely skin hydrated."

Which is when she caught sight of Barry. The normally grinning CSI was completely stone-faced and sliding into their semi-circular booth next to Korra—opposite the prince, who was getting nothing but side-eyed glares. The Avatar couldn't restrain a small chuckle as she linked her arm with his, secretly loving his possessiveness (as long as he didn't go all Rainbow Raider homicidal again) and giving him a wet, audible kiss on the cheek. Barry's face lit up completely red as his eyes bugged out, and Korra just laughed and laid her head on his shoulder. On her right, Asami and Mako were whispering something to each other rather tensely, but she didn't have the opportunity to worry about it when Wu invaded her personal space again.

"Hey! Pop into the Avatar State for me! I wanna see your eyes glow."

She stared at him for a second. "What? No."

When he didn't back up _quite_ fast enough, Korra felt a sudden gust of air pass over her legs under the table, and the prince yelped in pain as he retreated to the far end of the bench, rubbing his right shin. The Avatar didn't need to glance up at her boyfriend to see the smug satisfaction in his eyes, so she just smiled and snuggled further into his side. His left arm left hers and instead curled around her shoulders possessively as Asami turned to Korra with a concerned look.

"So, can you go into the Avatar State again?" she asked. "I was worried when you told me you couldn't."

"Wait," Mako interrupted curiously, "when did she tell you she couldn't?"

Korra felt Barry sigh against her as she and Asami exchanged a look.

"…what's going on with you guys?"

Korra looked down. "I…wrote to Asami while I was away, after—" She sent a pointed look at Barry. "I asked her not to tell you. I'm sorry."

Mako stared at her. "W-Why didn't you ever write to me, or Bolin?"

"I don't know," she admitted softly. "I guess…" she looked down, "I didn't know what to say."

Mako leaned back and crossed his arms. "A hello would've been nice."

"Mako," Wu interrupted, "if it makes you feel any better, she didn't write me either."

The detective stared at him incredulously. "Why would she—" He sighed and looked away. "Never mind."

Korra plowed ahead before things could get too heated. "I'm sorry I didn't stay in touch, but I'm _back_ now," she smiled, "and I want to know _everything_ about what's been going on with you two."

Asami gave Barry a glance before looking down. "Well, I kind of have some big news. I went to visit my father for the first time. He'd been writing me letters, and…I guess I finally felt ready to try and forgive him."

Korra frowned. "You sure you can _trust_ him? He might just be manipulating you again."

She felt Barry's arm stiffen around her shoulders an instant before Asami exploded.

"You think I don't know what my own _father_ is capable of?"

Korra backpedaled. Fast. "No—no, I didn't mean—"

"You don't get to disappear for almost two years and then act like you know what's best for me!"

"It's not like I _planned_ to be gone that long. I wanted to come back, but I never felt ready until now."

A glass thudded on the tabletop loudly, catching their attention as Wu stood up.

"As much as I'm enjoying this little catch-up," said the prince, "my royal bladder is about to _explode_." He snapped his fingers. "Mako, come on. I need you to stand guard."

The detective half-scowled and crossed his arms. "I'm not gonna hold your hand every time you need to empty your 'royal bladder.' Go to the bathroom on your _own_ for once."

Wu frowned and slumped over dejectedly. "Fine."

Temporarily distracted from the unpleasantness of a few seconds earlier, Korra watched him leave, then turned to Mako. "Do you _always_ go to the bathroom with him?"

His head snapped to her. "I don't go _with_ him, with him. I just…stand there in the general vicinity while he—" He stopped abruptly and frowned, slumping down into his seat. "I don't want to talk about it."

Evidently sensing an awkward silence coming on, Barry turned to Korra with a small frown.

"What?" she asked him quietly.

He sighed. "If you're gonna ask someone what they were thinking, with…" He nodded vaguely at Asami. "Ask me."

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I was the one who pushed her to go see him, to try and…rebuild that bridge."

Korra sighed. "Look, I'm not _saying_ it's a terrible idea. I _want_ you to be happy, _all_ of you. It's just…" she frowned and looked away, "hard to remember anything but the madness, at the end."

"I know," Asami replied. "But just the same as we trusted you to make the right decision about when to come back, you have to trust us to make the right decisions in our own lives." She shrugged. "It's not your place to fix everyone and everything."

Another heavy sigh. "Yeah. I'm starting to get that."

The waiter returned during the lull, setting down a tray of various appetizers that Barry nearly full-on gagged at. Mako, on the other hand, was frowning in the direction of the bathrooms.

"I wonder what's taking Wu so long. He's not one to miss out on lunch." The detective rose from his seat and started walking. "I'll go check on him."

The other three followed him after they exchanged a look, waiting outside the bathroom. After hearing Mako's muffled calls from inside, Korra saw an attendant pushing a laundry cart on her left and narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I'll be right back," she told Asami and Barry, disengaging from the latter. The Avatar turned a corner and approached two men loading laundry into the back of a van. "Excuse me, did you happen to see if Prince Wu came out this way?"

The attendant looked over at her. "Sorry, miss. Haven't seen him."

A moment later, Wu's curly head poked out from a pile of fabric. "I'm in laundry," he slurred, looking for all intents and purposes stoned out of his mind.

Korra stared at him for barely an instant before snarling and turning toward the lying attendant. She felt the stones beneath her shift and launch her into the air before anything could be done, her back slamming against a metal girder above before she fell to the ground face-first.

Barry was at her side in an instant, the rest following seconds later. "Korra, you okay?"

She shrugged him off and sent a glare at the leaving van. "They've got Wu!" She glanced at Mako and Asami. "Get the car! I'm going after them!"

A flash of golden lightning later, and Barry was suited up. "You mean _we're_ going after them."

Korra smirked and nodded, then made for the door with Barry taking the lead. He leapt back a second before exiting the building, two inch-wide marks on the panel just in front of him, and turned around with Korra to see a dark-haired man with a red-tinted eyepiece and some sort of device mounted around his right forearm.

"Deadshot," Barry half-whispered.

Two, then three more figures emerged from the shadows, one of them brandishing bronze claws on either of his hands, another with a detonator in one hand and a bag of demolitions around his shoulder. The last was a crazed-looking redhead woman with a bow and arrows whose tips were red and heart-shaped.

"Korra," Barry said quietly, "go. Stop that van. I'll deal with them."

She frowned, but nodded and took off.

…

Barry faced off with four highly dangerous criminals, only actually recognizing two of them, and that was mostly due to his catch-up conversations with Oliver. Bronze Tiger, the dark-skinned man with the claws, was a mercenary the Arrow had tangled with several times last year during his conflict with Deathstroke. Deadshot, of course, was the one he _knew_ to fear. Floyd Lawton: former Zaofu security, highly-paid assassin, notorious for never missing a shot. The others, he assumed, were also powerful criminals in their own right. Just one problem: all of them, presumably, were supposed to be behind bars, so what were they doing—

His ice-blue eyes widened in realization as all this ran through his head in the space of a second.

"Why are you working for Kuvira?" He had a pretty good guess at the answer.

"Long story, chief," replied Lawton, fingering the device on his right arm. "Rather not get into it. So if you don't mind…"

Barry shrugged. "After you."

He grinned and laughed.

A burst of small metal projectiles flew toward him a second later, the Flash ducking under them and dashing to one side as another burst came whistling. A red-tipped arrow streaked toward the Flash's path, and he smacked it aside by the shaft, catching the next arrow and sending it flying toward Deadshot's right arm. His sleeve was pinned to the wall behind him, the speedster streaking toward him but being diverted when Bronze Tiger lunged for his path, both claws slashing. Barry narrowly escaped having his right arm flayed, arcing around Tiger and elbowing him in the back.

A snap was heard from behind him, the Flash ducking to one side and dodging incoming metal shards by the half dozen. Two arrows flew toward him one after the next, forcing him to alter his course and take off running to get some distance between him and them. Taking a second to re-evaluate his approach, Barry became aware of a rectangular projectile flying toward a support pillar. Glancing back at its source, he recognized the danger a split-second before it nearly detonated in his face. At it happened, the pillar it had been thrown at shattered at its middle and dropped chunks of the ceiling toward him.

Barry deftly avoided them, but his brief distraction allowed Deadshot to score a graze on his left arm. Yelping in pain, he came to a stop and checked the injury to find it already healing. Sending a narrow-eyed glare in a smirking Lawton's direction, his upper lip twitched and eyes flared with lightning as he took off toward them.

…

"Ugh! The _one_ time I don't watch him pee, and _this_ is what happens!"

Korra ignored Mako's outburst and turned away from the half-demolished, now-empty van in favor of approaching a nearby cluster of spirit vines with a determined look in her eyes. Her left hand rose and planted itself on one of the vines, golden light flaring from the point of contact as her eyes closed. Her vision exploded in hazy images, focusing on the back of a Satomobile and moving inside to see a drooling Prince Wu. Her eyes flew open as she whipped back around to Mako and Asami.

"They're taking Wu to the train station!"

"Are you sure?" asked Asami. "How do you know?"

Korra sprinted for their car and leapt in the back. "I'll explain on the way. Just drive; we're running out of time!"

Seconds later, Asami was drifting around a corner at high speeds and flooring the gas pedal.

"So," Mako called to the back seat, "how do you know where Wu is just by touching some spirit vines?"

"I learned how to connect to people's energy through them," Korra replied.

Asami glanced toward her. "Who taught you that?"

"Lin's mom," she replied, watching as their eyes and mouths went wide. "I found her in the swamp. That place is like one giant Spirit Wild."

"You met _Toph_?" Asami asked in disbelief. "What was she like?"

Korra frowned and looked up. "A…cranky, more miserable version of Lin."

Mako gave her a sideways look. "Is…that even possible?"

The Avatar smirked. "You'd be surprised."

Their conversation was brought to an abrupt halt when they came to a stop just outside Central City Station, sprinting inside and scanning the various platforms for their quarry.

"Which train is Wu on?" Mako asked her.

Korra bit her lower lip. "I don't know."

"Split up and start looking!"

…

Four Elements Hotel

"You're holding back."

The Flash snarled at Bronze Tiger's declaration, half-kneeling as he sprung up for another dash. Thus far, the demolitionist—Shrapnel, he'd heard one of them call him—had collapsed three rooms and nearly crushed several dozen hotel staffers and patrons. If that wasn't bad enough, the crazy archer—Cupid—was taking periodic potshots at fleeing civilians, forcing him to alter his course and catch or redirect her arrows, thereby giving Deadshot perfect firing arcs to pin him. He'd managed to avoid all such follow-ups so far, but he was getting tired, and their attacks were getting closer.

Given the extensive damage to the hotel so far, these jokers—and by extension, their boss—obviously weren't particularly concerned with collateral damage. On the contrary, they seemed insistent on causing it. His ice-blue eyes narrowed as he leaned his upper half under another burst of metal projectiles from Deadshot.

 _What's their game? They're obviously here because of the prince, but…they're not helping their allies, they're—_ His eyes widened. _They're stuck here fighting me. No. Not stuck._

He ducked under another metal salvo and snatched an arrow from the air, throwing it at Tiger, who deflected it with his claws.

 _This was a calculated move. They're here to keep_ me _busy, so I can't interfere with the kidnapping._ His teeth clenched. _I don't think so._

With a final burst of speed, the Flash took off toward Deadshot, arcing between him and Cupid and nearly making them shoot each other in their haste. Instead, he shot out of the hotel and onto the streets of Republic City. He tapped his earpiece and sent a call to Asami's end. There was no response. His teeth gritted.

 _Damn it!_

…

Central City Station

"If we don't find Wu soon, we may _never_ find him!"

Korra's jaw clenched, loosening as she crouched down and placed her palm against the platform they were standing on. Golden light flared out from her palm as her eyes closed, mind focusing and feeling a sharp tug on her right a moment later. Her cerulean eyes snapped open to a train about to pull out of the station.

"He's on that train!" she shouted, just as its doors closed and it started moving.

The three friends leapt aboard one after the other, Korra pulling Asami on before Mako capped off the end. Asami opened the door of the car behind them and strode through with the other two in tow.

"How do you know for sure he's here?" Mako asked skeptically.

"I don't," Korra replied with a shrug, "but I had a _feeling_ , okay?"

"And I'm just supposed to trust your 'Avatar feelings'?"

She whirled on him angrily. "You wouldn't _have_ to if you had guarded the prince like you were _supposed_ to!" Korra turned around and kept following Asami through the door to the darkened luggage car.

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault Wu disappeared!"

"It's _certainly_ not mine!"

"Guys!" Asami interrupted loudly as they came to a stop. "Shh. Listen."

Korra did, and turned toward a loud thumping noise coming from a large trunk. Mako moved toward it and undid the latches, then threw the lid, allowing a shrieking, spasming Prince Wu to thrash about madly.

Mako grabbed his shoulders. "Wu, Wu, it's _me_!"

The prince's eyes were closed as the detective steadied him. "Mako?" He finally turned to look at him goggle-eyed. "Where am I?" His head tilted. "Am I dead?"

"No," Mako answered sharply. "You're on a train. We're gonna get you out of here."

A door slid open on Korra's left, and she snapped toward it to see two very aggressive-looking metalbenders. The Avatar immediately fell into a ready stance and backpedaled when sharp, card-sized shards of metal started flying in her direction. Her hands moved in time with their paths, metalbending maneuvers sending them flying away one after the next until she was backed halfway into the car. A double wave of airbending sent both metalbenders rocketing toward the ceiling head-first, knocking them out. Seeing more metalbenders coming from either side, she bent both doors shut and peeled the ceiling aside, a massive gust of wind entering from above.

"Everyone out!" she yelled above the gale.

"I'm not going up there!" Wu protested.

Korra gave him what could only be described as a "stank face" just moments before catapulting him out onto the roof of the next car with an air blast. She followed a second later, helping the others up top and leading them further and further back on the train. When they'd leapt two cars down, two metalbenders came up behind them, one yanking Mako off his feet with a cable, then throwing the other cable at Wu, who was tucked under one of Korra's arms. She snatched it from the air and curled it around her right forearm, planting her stance firmly and pulling back.

Two more metalbenders came from the opposite side while her hands were occupied and Mako was still down. Asami prevented one from attacking with a wheel-kick to his moving arm, followed by an electrified palm-heel to the chest. His partner pushed back by curling the end of their car's roof up toward them, forcing her back. Mako recovered with a kick to the arm of the closest metalbender, pushing him away from them to the next car. Unfortunately, both pairs of benders got the same idea and started bending the metal roof right on top of them.

The walls stopped coming when Korra saw a flash of golden lightning from below, on one of the high track's support struts, followed by the emergence of a red blur through the floor below one pair of attackers. A satisfying crack resounded from that end of the train, and golden lightning streaked around the bent sections to hit the other side as well. One crack followed after the next as the strikes became a continuous circuit of gold, and both attacking benders were driven back step by step until they fell over unconscious. The lightning came to a stop between Korra and Asami, the Flash's red-clad body standing at the end of the trail, catching his breath.

He turned to her and the prince, vibrating his vocal cords. "Are you okay?"

She smiled. "Yeah, Flash. We're fine. Thanks."

Wu just stared at him goggle-eyed, then threw his hands in the air. "The Avatar _and_ the Flash?! In one day?! This is the best day _ever_!"

Barry stared at him for a few seconds before pointing at him and turning his gaze to Korra. "Is he high?"

Behind him, Asami chuckled softly. "It's a distinct possibility."

Korra smiled and shook her head slightly, only for her expression to shift to alarm when she glanced behind the Flash. "Look out!"

…

Barry turned around just as a section of the bent roof peeled away to permit a half-dozen metal pellets to fly at them at massive speeds. Korra bent a thin section of the floor beneath her to block anything that came their way while the Flash grabbed Asami and pulled her out of the path of the shots. He set her down a moment later, standing between her and the same four criminals they'd encountered at the hotel.

"Get the prince out of here," Flash ordered. "I've got this."

Korra deftly handed Wu to Asami and sidled up beside Barry. "No," she corrected, " _we've_ got this."

Barry have her a frown, but refocused on the criminal squad. "You guys just don't know when to give up, do you?"

"Nope," replied Cupid before letting loose a pair of arrows.

The Flash snatched them both from the air and returned them in the direction of Deadshot, who dodged easily. "How did you even get _up_ here?"

Lawton pulled something from the left of his belt and threw it at the Flash in a clean, precise arc, the speedster pulling his neck away just in time and managing to identify the weapon as a daggertail. Deadshot snapped it back to his grip with a smirk.

"That about answer your question?"

Barry shrugged. "Roughly."

Korra acted before he did, sending the bent roof rocketing toward them as a metal wall. The squad moved like a single organism, all dodging effortlessly and Tiger giving Shrapnel a boosted jump while Deadshot used his daggertail to fling him to the opposite car. Korra sent two air blasts in Cupid's direction, the deranged archer laughing as she was blown off the train only to fire a cable arrow at the side of their car and swing to Shrapnel's end. Barry could hear Mako fighting them off behind him, but Deadshot wasn't giving him the chance to help.

One salvo after the next of high-velocity metal projectiles flew his way as Korra held Bronze Tiger back with a flurry of fire attacks. Tiger managed to dodge around most of them, but barreled right through one big one to roll into a lunging stab at Korra's midsection. Glancing behind him, he confirmed that Korra and Asami were double-teaming the non-bender and focused all his attention on Deadshot. Every time he tried to move closer, Lawton fired some insanely accurate trick shot or used his daggertail to repel the speedster.

Briefly speeding up his perception, Flash finally noticed that Deadshot was essentially using the device on his arm as a storage chamber for metal projectiles that he flash-formed with his bending upon the insertion of larger metal blocks into a topside port. When Barry zipped around to his other side, forcing him to face away from the prince, he discovered the device had dual use, since the roof directly behind Lawton was effectively fed through it like a wood chopper. And, like a wood chopper, it started spitting out metal projectiles by the dozen in a rapid automatic fire.

After dodging the first couple of shots, Barry just stood still and vibrated his body to let them all pass through. Noticing that he was getting nowhere, Deadshot smirked malevolently and shifted his aim—directly toward Asami and the others. Barry's eyes widened.

"No!"

The Flash lunged for his friends in a mad dash as Lawton opened fire, dozens of metal projectiles streaking toward Team Avatar and the prince just as he got between them. And then his arms started moving. One, two, three, _six_ at a time, bullets were swiped or snatched from their forward course, Barry's arms starting to get tired just two seconds in. He kept going, though, a determined yell rising from his throat as the space in front of him became a blur of red and gold. Evidently, Deadshot was having a hard time keeping up the intensity of his barrage as well, since he went red-faced and started to visibly sweat just seconds in.

A chunk of twisted metal slammed into Lawton's chest from behind the Flash, and Barry breathed a sigh of relief as Korra sent a relentless salvo of elemental attacks his way. He glanced back to see Asami dodging slashes from Bronze Tiger and Cupid grappling with Mako with a… _hungry_ look on her face.

"Well, _hello_ gorgeous."

Barry's eyebrows shot skyward as the look in Mako's eyes turned horrified.

"Sorry," Mako hissed, "but I don't date crazy."

He leaned back and kicked the archer behind him, right into a speed-powered tackle that sent her crashing into Bronze Tiger and flying onto Shrapnel's car. Speaking of…

"If we can't have the prince," the bomber shouted, "no one will!"

Shrapnel barreled straight past Asami, bowling her over and shoving Mako to one side before activating all the bombs in his bag at once and planting them on their car.

"No!" shouted Barry as he slammed a high-speed fist into Shrapnel's skull, sending him flying toward Tiger and Cupid.

Deadshot was flung to the front end of the train as well when Korra used his own daggertail against him. Barry glanced down at the bombs, noting a timer on the side of one, then snapped his attention back to the others.

"It's on a fifteen-second timer! Get off this thing, now!"

Korra shot him a horrified look. "What about the passengers?!"

"I got 'em, now _go_!"

Without waiting around, the Flash flew into action, leaping down through the previously created holes on either side of the doomed car to find its interior empty. Evidently, the passengers had cleared out once they saw the roof being bent out of shape. Good. He dashed toward the uncoupling mechanisms on either side of the car, flipping them loose within five seconds, then making for the side of the train to take a running vertical leap off its hull. The moment his feet left the car's wall, he reached the top and let his eyes widen in sudden alarm when he saw a pair of deranged brown eyes and a flash of red hair.

An instant later, he felt a sharp, stabbing pain deep in his left shoulder, a massive impact against that side of his body, and a sudden bout of nausea as black spots swam in his vision. A moment later, he was unconscious.

…

Cupid smirked as she watched the Scarlet Speedster fly upward, then fall in an uncontrolled descent. "Gotcha."

An insistent beeping on her left turned her attention to the ticking bombs and their five-second timer.

A resigned sigh came from her throat. "Oh well."

Suddenly, she yelped as she felt her feet leave the ground, the cable portion of Deadshot's daggertail wrapped around her waist as she flew away from the doomed car. Two sections of the train drew further and further away from the giant five-ton bomb as she landed in Lawton's grip, watching the explosion from nearly two hundred feet away. Her eyes eventually turned upward as she gaped at Floyd's smug expression.

"That was a clean grab, if I may say so myself."

Cupid grinned in response and wrapped her arms around his neck. "My hero."

Lawton looked at her with wide eyes and a disturbed expression. "On second thought, maybe I shoulda let her burn."

…

Barry awoke to the feeling of rushing wind on his masked face, eyes snapping wide open when his memories returned. He glanced down only for a moment before he realized he was falling entirely too far too fast, with no way to slow down. He needn't have worried, since a gentle air current from below slowed his descent until he was laid gently on a rocky plateau below. A few slow blinks preceded the appearance of a raven head of hair in his blurry vision, oceanic blue eyes looking down at him in concern.

A small groan came from his throat. "How bad?"

Korra eyed the arrow in his shoulder for a few seconds before sighing in relief. "Missed your heart. Barely."

Barry sighed and laid his head back. "Figures."

She reached down and grasped the arrow's shaft firmly.

"Whoa! Whoa-whoa-whoa, slow down there."

Korra arched an eyebrow at him.

"Just…let me."

The Avatar threw her hands up and helped him to a kneeling position, watching as he gripped the arrow's shaft with one hand, teeth gritting while the rest of his body started vibrating. Seconds later, the blood-stained arrow fell free and clinked against the rocky ground.

Barry grinned at her. "See? No mess, no fuss. Not… _quite_ as much pain."

Korra shot him a look as she crossed her arms.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You all right?"

Barry and Korra turned toward Mako, who'd asked the question of an ecstatic Prince Wu, who profusely thanked the detective.

"You _should_ be thanking Korra," Mako said once he was finished, waving at the woman in question. "We never would've found you without her."

Wu's expression sharpened as he strode up to her and bowed. "I owe you my life, Avatar." He straightened up and sent a glance at Barry. "And…I suppose you had a hand in it too, Flash."

Barry arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

Wu turned back to Korra. "If only there were some way to repay you." His eyes widened as they took on a glint that put Barry's teeth on edge. "Oh, I know!" He gripped Korra's hand tightly. "How about I take you out for a night on the town?"

Korra stared at him. "Really? You're asking me out, right now?"

"So…I'll put you down for a 'maybe'?"

Her voice took on an edge. "How 'bout a 'never'? I mean, you _do_ know I _already_ have a boyfriend, _right_?"

He huffed. "Uh, yeah, the boyfriend that isn't here. I mean, you _clearly_ ditched him because he couldn't keep up with you."

Barry had to restrain an audible snort of laughter. _Actually, it's kind of the other way around._

"Barry's incredible expertise is in the lab," Mako interrupted, "not in battle."

"And besides," Asami added with a wink at Barry, "someone had to watch the car."

Getting the message, the speedster nodded to her and put a hand on Korra's shoulder as she pulled out of Wu's grip. "I better get going," he said in a vibrating voice.

Korra gave him a nod and smile. "Until next time, Flash."

Barry took off a moment later.

…

Korra strode up to Mako and Asami. "Not exactly what I imagined for our first day back together."

"But it was kind of like old times," Asami replied. "Except for the 'getting on each other's nerves' part."

Mako smirked. "Actually, that _is_ like old times for me and Korra."

Korra looked down. "I'm sorry things got so tense earlier."

"It's all right," Asami replied. "I guess after being apart for almost two years, there's bound to be a _bit_ of an adjustment period."

"Yeah," Mako agreed. "But it's _great_ to have you back."

Korra grinned. "There's no place else I'd rather be."

The trio embraced warmly, Korra sensing more than hearing Wu's approach on her left and stopping him with a hand to his face. He still attempted to join the group hug with both hands on Mako's shoulder.

"You guys are the greatest friends a guy could have."

The Avatar just rolled her eyes and sighed contentedly before they all pulled away and started walking toward the city. "So, what are we gonna do with him?" She sent a pointed look at Wu. "It's too dangerous to take him back to the hotel."

Wu snorted. "You're telling _me_? I need a cushy safehouse somewhere."

Mako smirked and shared a knowing look with Asami. "I think I know just the place."

Finally approaching the city limits, they spotted Barry sitting in the driver's seat of Asami's car, on a curbside corner looking bored out of his skull.

The CSI turned to them and groaned audibly. "It's about _time_! I'm dying out here."

"It's not even that cold, Bear," Asami protested.

"I meant of boredom. And by the way," he added, shifting to the passenger seat, "you suck at giving directions."

Asami blushed and stared at him agape. "Excuse me, but it's not _my_ fault that you're directionally challenged!"

The group shuffled into the car, Mako smartly putting himself between Wu and Korra in the backseat.

"Oh, _I'm_ directionally challenged?" Barry shot back. "You're the one who keeps forgetting about all the one-way streets."

"Maybe I just thought you'd use your own judgment instead of just following my instructions to the letter despite _oncoming_ traffic."

Korra felt a laugh bubbling up in her chest and released it heartily, wiping her minorly leaking eyes and bumping her shoulder against Mako's. Her eyes drifted to the back of Barry's head, a smile rising to her features.

 _Guess you took my advice, huh Barry? That heart of yours is still gold._

…

20 minutes later

Sato Estate, Republic City

"Nice digs, Mako. You didn't tell me you came from money."

The detective gave him a sideways look. "I don't. This is _Asami's_ place."

"And mine," Barry added.

Mako smiled. "They were nice enough to let my family stay here after they fled Ba Sing Se."

"And let me tell you," Barry added, "those cousins of yours are a _handful_."

Mako smirked as his grandmother exited the front door of the manor.

"Mako," she called, "it's so wonderful to—" The wizened woman stopped short with a massive gasp as she caught sight of Wu. "Are you—"

Barry groaned and rubbed his eyes as he remembered Yin's severe attachment to royalty.

 _Great. There'll be no living with him_ now _._

His eyes snapped wide open as a sudden feeling of horror struck him.

 _Oh no. I actually_ will _be living with him now._

Before he could fall into a full-on panic attack, Mako spoke. "Grandma, this is Prince Wu. He needs to stay with you and the family for a little while."

To Barry's mild surprise, Wu actually knelt and took her hand. "It's an honor, Grandma Mako."

Upon the prince pressing a kiss to her hand, the old woman sighed and fell over backwards in a dead faint as Mako lunged to catch her. Barry audibly facepalmed.

"She _loves_ royalty," Mako explained in a half-exasperated tone.

"I think I'll fit right in here," Wu announced with a grin. "Thanks for lookin' out for me, Mako."

The detective arched an eyebrow at Wu, catching Barry's full-on glare from behind the prince and shooting him a small apologetic smile.

"Now where's the nearest bathroom?" Wu asked with an alarmed look plastered to his face. "I have been holding it _all_ day!"

He practically ran off without getting an answer, leaving the others to stare and shake their heads at his departure.

Mako turned to Barry with a sigh. "Look, man…I know I did this without your say-so, totally out of the blue, but…"

"It's fine," he interrupted. "I get it. This place is off the radar, protected by guards 24/7, and the Flash is living here." Barry shrugged. "Besides, it might give me the chance to know him better. See if there's anything actually worth liking."

Korra snorted disbelievingly and shook her head, arms crossed.

Barry gave her a tight smile. "Yeah, that's probably gonna be my conclusion too."

"Wu's all right," Mako admitted reluctantly. "Spoiled rotten, but when it counts…I guess he's okay."

Silence overtook the group until the detective looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms.

"Anyway, I better get Gram to bed."

"I'll help," Asami said, following him inside and leaving Barry and Korra alone.

They stood with each other for a while, watching the setting sun in the west.

"So…"

Barry turned to her. "So?"

Korra smirked. "When do you think was the last time we had an actual, you know, date?"

He bit his lower lip briefly. "I'd have to say…sometime eighteen months ago?" He chuckled. "It's been a while. I mean, only really six months for me, but…a lot longer for you." A frown creased his eyebrows as they walked past a nearby guard tower. "I'm thinkin' you might've forgotten the steps."

She smirked wider. "There were steps?"

Barry chuckled. "Yeah, you got a point there. We kinda just…fell into each other."

"Really? 'Cause that's not _quite_ how I remember it."

"Oh?"

"Mhm, see, I remember thinking I'd blown it, and then seeing you with some floozy hanging on your arm. And _then_ I remember getting mad and storming over, shoving her off and kissing you right there in the middle of a crowd."

"Hm, yeah, I see your point." Barry gave her a wry smile. "So we _lunged_ into each other."

Korra snorted derisively. "The way I remember that night, _I_ did all the lunging, excuse me. _You_ just stood there and took it."

"Well, considering that wasn't _actually_ our first kiss…"

Korra blinked once, twice, then blushed a little and laughed softly. "Oh. Right. I'd almost forgotten about that."

They came to a stop near one of the estate's hedges, stopping and slinging arms around each other as they watched the sunset.

"We've come quite a long way, haven't we, Bear?"

Barry smiled and tucked her head into the crook of his neck. "That we have. And there's still quite a distance to go." He turned to look down at her. "So I hope you're ready."

Korra looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

Barry's lips pursed as he nodded twice, then turned back to the sunset. The pair leaned against each other, each counterbalancing the other as their grips tightened. Eventually, Korra turned into him fully, and they embraced with both arms curled around the other, Barry stroking her short hair. Both their heads turned toward the setting sun, bodies flush and breathing in sync. Barry closed his eyes and breathed in the cool dusk air, taking with it the salt-tinged smell of her hair and intense feelings he'd feared he'd lost forever. But it was okay now. He was back. Korra was back.

And by the looks of their embrace, neither one had any intention of going anywhere.

* * *

AN: All right. Starting next chapter is a fairly significant time dilation, between episodes 7 and 8 of Korra Book Four. It'll be roughly…I want to say four chapters before episode 8 begins, but there's a plot-applicable reason for that. Several, actually. You'll see in time.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more. The next four chapters are going to contain some of the most badass scenes I've ever written, and if any of you have read _Kandosii'tal_ , you know that's saying something. For those of you who don't know, the team of four criminals Barry faced down was this Earth's version of the Suicide Squad, which works for Kuvira and the Earth Empire in exchange for full pardons. If I ever get around to writing the Arrow side of this, you'll see their origins there.

Stay tuned for more and gear up for some incredible stuff in the coming chapters.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	42. Concerned

Concerned (adj.): worried, troubled, or anxious.

Next day

Flash HQ, Republic City

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Well?"

Cisco turned toward Asami. "She's still looking," he replied, nodding at a furiously searching Opal.

A frustrated groan came from the airbender's throat as she threw down a now-empty bag, carding a hand through her hair in an effort to calm herself. "I just…" her expression shifted subtly, "wait. Maybe." She turned to a nearby Korra suddenly. "Korra, would you still happen to have that meteorite my mother gave you? You know, the one she used when you were learning to metalbend?"

The Avatar frowned and reached out for a nearby messenger bag, rifling through its contents for a few moments before triumph shone in her features. "Got it!" She handed the meteorite to Opal, who then handed it to Cisco.

"Okay then," the darker man said with a shrug. "Let's get this show on the road."

He glanced at Barry and Korra nervously, then held the rock in both hands and closed his eyes, taking and releasing a deep breath. A deep frown creased his features as he focused hard, fingers tightening around the meteorite. Almost a full minute of silence passed before Cisco's eyes opened wide, glowing pure white, as were his hands. Another thirty seconds of silence passed, the only sound a vibrating hum emanating from Cisco. Finally, the glows died down, and he blinked his power away, letting out a long breath as he swayed. Caitlin reached out to steady him, Opal and the others drawing closer as well.

"Well?" asked the airbender. "Did you see anything?"

He blinked a few times and sighed hard. "Yeah." His head shook slightly. "That's gotta be the furthest I've _ever_ seen."

"Where are they, exactly?" asked Barry.

"It's uh—" He made for a nearby desk, stumbling a bit but rebalanced thanks to Caitlin. Cisco sent her a grateful nod, then pulled out a world map and moved his index around. "Right here." He pointed at a particular section in the north. "It looks like a repurposed warehouse, about fifty miles west of Ba Sing Se."

"Security?"

Cisco shrugged. "Presumably, but it's like I told you guys before. The further out I go, the blurrier it gets. I'm surprised I was even able to nail down a location at all."

Barry smiled and patted his shoulder. "Great work buddy."

Cisco just hummed and smiled a little, somewhat nervously.

Caitlin frowned. "Hey, you okay?"

He snapped to her rather stiffly. "Huh? Yeah, I just…that took a lot out of me."

Meanwhile, Lin was less than happy. "Great. So, now we know where they are, but there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that we'll be able to reach them. Not so close to the capital."

"Maybe not for all of us," Barry conceded, "but I can do it."

Caitlin turned to him. "That's…a pretty big risk, going that deep into enemy territory."

He shrugged. "No more than usual."

"That's what worries us," said Caitlin.

He gave her a confused look.

The doctor sighed and looked around the room. "Can we get a minute?"

The two got some perplexed looks, but one by one, Asami, Korra, Cisco, Opal, and Lin all filed out of the main room, giving the two metahumans some privacy.

"What's on your mind?" Barry asked.

Caitlin's lips pursed. "Why do you insist on constantly putting yourself in danger?"

His brows furrowed. "I don't understand. I've _always_ been in danger. That's the nature of the job."

Her head shook slowly. "No. I mean… _excessive_ danger. Ever since you've gotten back, you've been taking _entirely_ too many risks."

Barry snorted and crossed his arms. "Like what?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "You _really_ want me to list them all out? That's impossible, so let's just stick to recent events. Last week, you rushed into a prisoner escape headlong, without checking your environment, and got shot in the back with an _obscene_ amount of toxin that actually managed to stop your heart—which I didn't even think was _possible_. And then, just days later, you run off to save Korra… _alone_ , and in one day, _one day_ , you face down an army of several thousand—by yourself—and attempt to take on Kuvira one-on-one, after being injured in the previous fight."

"Cate—"

"And _then_ ," she interrupted, "just yesterday, while you were distracted trying to be a one-man showboat, you got shot with an arrow just _inches_ from your heart." Her brown gaze was intense and almost desperate, glassing over slightly with just a tinge of icy blue. "So, tell me, Barry…why exactly should I not be worried?"

He shrugged and shook his head. "Because…I can _handle_ it. Caitlin, I've spent the last six months getting used to working virtually alone. I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I know what I can and can't deal with, Cate." Another shake of the head. "I don't need you mothering me."

She stared at him for several seconds, her jaw working as she nodded slowly. "Okay. Then I won't." Caitlin reached for a nearby bag containing most of her doctor's tools. "But if you do this, and it goes sideways, you better find someone else to patch you up." She looked back up at him as she zippered the bag closed. "Because I won't do it."

Barry gaped at her.

"I have watched you slowly but surely isolate yourself from everyone around you. Not socially, but in the field."

He shrugged. "I'm not always gonna be able to rely on others to be there, and the truth is, there isn't a person alive who can keep up with me. And that's not a rub against them, it's just a simple fact."

"So you're just gonna leave everyone else behind because they're slowing you down, is that it?"

Barry looked away and frowned. He remained silent for a while. "Where will you go?"

Caitlin sighed. "Your dad mentioned a while back that he might need some help expanding his new practice in the Fire Nation. I turned him down, thinking I'd be more needed here." She smiled sardonically. "Guess I was wrong." Her brown eyes searched his for a few seconds. "You don't _have_ to do this alone, Barry. And I _really_ hope you realize that before it's too late."

The speedster watched her go, the woman pushing through the main door and past the confused others on her way out. Korra shot him a questioning look, but he just looked down and away, remaining tight-lipped as they all filed back in.

…

Korra opened her mouth, but Barry turned to Cisco, forestalling any awkward questions.

"Cisco, are you sure the entire Beifong family is in that warehouse?"

He frowned. "Reasonably. I can't be one hundred percent sure, since it _was_ just Suyin's energy tied to that thing, but…I'd bet money on it."

Barry nodded slowly, looking toward a mannequin containing one of his suits.

"At least take me with you," Korra volunteered. "Or Lin. We'll have a better chance of getting them all out if we work together."

He turned toward her and shook his head, shrugging. "This is a really long trip to do for just _one_ person, let alone five people. If you come with me, it'll just mean I have one more person to carry out."

 _Translation,_ thought Korra somewhat bitterly, _"one more person to slow me down."_

Still, he wasn't exactly wrong. She nodded, conceding the point. Lin looked less than happy about it.

"This is my family we're talking about," she said. "I trust you, Allen, but I can't just leave this to someone else."

He shrugged. "Well you're gonna _have_ to. Besides," Barry added, "it's not like I'm stickin' around to fight. I'm just snagging them and getting the hell out." He marched over to the nearby suit and pressed his ring against it, the high-tech fabric shrinking down into its hollow head. "I'll let you guys know when I have them."

"Wait," Asami began, "you're leaving _now_?"

He shrugged. "When else?" He hit the head of his ring and deployed his suit, donning it in three seconds, then coming to a stop. "There's no telling what Kuvira's doing to them, or if they'll be moved, or if Cisco'll be able to trace their location again. I have to act _now_." A halfhearted smile came to his face as he scanned the faces of his friends. "Don't worry. I'll be back in a—" he winked and grinned, "—flash."

A universal groan carried through those present, Korra included, though she kept enough presence of mind to embrace him tightly.

"Just be careful, okay?"

Barry smiled down at her. "Come on, Korra. It's _me_ we're talking about." He snapped them all a two-fingered salute, then took off like a viper bat out of hell.

Korra frowned. _Yeah. That's what I'm_ afraid _of._

"I have a bad feeling about this."

The Avatar sent Chief Beifong a look of agreement.

"Cisco, are you sure you're okay?"

Korra turned back to the others, where a slightly pale Cisco was waving off Asami's concerns.

"Yeah, boss, I'm fine. Just uh…I think I need to lie down."

Korra frowned again with furrowed eyebrows, shooting Asami a curious look. She just responded with a shrug and went off to type up some document or another. Lin made for the exit, and the team dispersed like it was nothing. Meanwhile, the Avatar just couldn't shake a foreboding feeling, the likes of which she hadn't felt since…the Reverse-Flash.

…

30 minutes later

Earth Empire territory

By the time Barry arrived at the warehouse, it was high noon, which gave him the advantage. Various guard towers and booths strewn about the grounds were completely visible in the bright noonday sun, giving him ample information to avoid their line of sight, which he did. On his way in, he spotted a window on one wall of the warehouse and slid to a stop just below it, crouching down. He peeked above the sill of the window to see several patrolling guards, one just passing by him. Barry pressed both palms against the wall and vibrated his body, phasing through moments later and glancing around to ensure a clear path further into the building.

Smirking, he ran up one of the rafters to sprint across the ceiling, remaining out of the guards' line of sight. Within minutes, he'd surveyed all but one room of the warehouse, the largest, as point of fact.

 _All right. This is it._

He took a breath, running down to the ground and charging up for an all-out sprint. Lightning flared in his eyes as he took off, slamming through the doors and diving for—

An empty glass case?

The Flash slid to a stop fifteen feet from a familiar metal-framed glass cell, eyes narrowing in confusion and suspicion. A slow, sinister clap sounded from behind him, the speedster turning toward it to glare at its source.

"You arrived here far faster than I expected, Flash." Kuvira smirked. "Truly…I'm impressed."

His fists clenched as he stalked toward her a few steps, noticing men moving about on an upper catwalk. "Where are they, Kuvira?"

"Not here," she answered with a shrug. "As point of fact, they never were."

Barry's brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sure you'll find out sooner or later, but for now, I'll have to ask you to surrender."

The Flash's legs spread apart as he took a stance. "Not gonna happen."

She sighed. "I thought you'd say that."

A snap of her fingers preceded Barry's run for the nearest wall by a half-second. Unfortunately, that half-second of hesitation was enough. When he tried to phase through the wall, he found himself rebounding and screaming as pain lanced through every nerve in his body. His vision slowly cleared as smoke curled off his red-suited form, eyes blinking rapidly to see arcs of blue electricity sparking between the vertical supports of the wall—and every wall in the room.

"Impressive, isn't it? Our mutual friend Varrick left the schematics for his arc pylons lying around. Ever since I discovered your ability to phase, I realized that the only barrier that would be able to contain you would have to be electrical in nature, so I had _these_ commissioned."

Barry sent her a smirk. "They couldn't contain the Reverse-Flash."

"True, but that was before any of us had any concept of just how powerful your kind can be. I, however, did _not_ make that mistake. Thanks to our newfound mastery of spirit battery technology, we were able to increase the power flowing through that system by several orders of magnitude." She strode toward him threateningly. "So, Flash, the only way you're leaving this place…is going through me."

He shrugged. "Suits me just fine."

The Flash snarled and charged at Kuvira, the master metalbender just managing to dodge his initial attack and counter with an earth pillar to his back. He rolled on contact with the ground, arcing back toward her to pick up several smaller chunks of rock and chuck them in her direction. He literally ran circles around her as she sent barbed metal cables flying in his direction, Kuvira attempting to trip him up with two circular swipes a moment later. He slid under her cables and scrambled to his feet a moment later, passing her by with a hook to the side of her head.

She flew through the air to slide on the concrete floor, coming to an abrupt stop when she anchored herself to the ground, snarling up at the approaching red blur. The Flash streaked past her several times, blunt force blows slamming into her from opposite sides until she sent an earth wall up between her and him just a split-second before he hit. There was no time to phase, and as a result, he crashed through the wall going somewhere near five hundred miles an hour. He yelled in pain as he rolled to a stop, shakily pushing himself upright but finding himself yanked off his feet and thrown through the air.

His back slammed against a piece of solid glass a moment before Kuvira yelled, "Now!"

Barry's ice-blue eyes widened when a glass door slid shut in front of him, the speedster attempting to vibrate through, but prevented when the barrier was electrified. He stopped and stared in alarm as the men above him started bustling about some machinery rather animatedly.

His eyes snapped to Kuvira. "What is this?!"

She turned to him with a malevolent glint in her eye. " _This_ is how 'heroes' are brought to heel."

Barry looked back up at the machinery above him, eyes wide in horror and panic as recognition thrummed through his system. "No. No!" He slammed his fists on the glass several times, attempting to vibrate through again and again and always prevented by the electricity coursing through the wall. "Kuvira, don't do this!"

"I'm sorry, Flash…but you've left me no choice."

Barry began to hyperventilate, glancing up at the controls being operated, then screaming in pain and desperation as electricity flooded the chamber, his eyes widening when he realized two things. One: that the arcs of lightning were gold, not blue. Two: the electricity wasn't coursing through him—it was being sucked _out_ of him. He collapsed to his knees as little by little, more and more electricity was siphoned from his body, sweat streaming down his face as it came to a stop twenty seconds later. He looked down at his hands, attempting to vibrate them but only getting a small shake in response.

His shoulders shook as his eyes went wide in horror, head clutched in his hands as his lungs pumped out shuddering breaths.

"Leave us, and open his cell. He's of no threat anymore."

The glass door slid out of place as Barry absently stared at the floor, eyes flitting back and forth aimlessly as he heard second-floor doors open and close behind the leaving scientists. Barry gulped hard and looked up at Kuvira, who was standing some twenty feet away.

"How did you get the plans for the speed engine?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "It wasn't difficult, really. After the Reverse-Flash was defeated, Ms. Sato fell into a bit of a daze company-wise, and since it was her who had performed the most extensive research into speedsters at the time, I had one of my affiliates look into the matter. By some stroke of good luck, he ran across Thawne's notes and copied them, as well as the annotations the Sato girl had made—specifically those applying to relieving a speedster of their power."

Barry slowly pushed himself upright, staring at her blankly as he stepped from the cell.

Kuvira smirked and waved at him. "And it worked." She strode toward him, stopping within arm's reach. "The fastest man alive, and the only person capable of challenging me…now powerless." Her smirk widened.

That is, until Barry grabbed both sides of her face and brought his forehead into her nose hard.

"Gah!"

He pulled her head into a clench grip and kneed her in the gut several times, then elbowed her in the side of the face and threw her to the ground. "I may not have my speed, but don't mistake powerlessness for helplessness."

Kuvira snarled and attempted to earthbend, but a drop-kick to her chest prevented the action as the Flash refused to let up, even at normal speed. She used her cables to pull herself away from him, flipping upright a moment later and smiling at him through the trickle of blood running from her nose.

"So…you have actual skill after all."

They paced around each other, Barry assuming a solid fighting stance.

"Skills picked up from Lin Beifong, no less."

His eyes widened a little.

She snorted. "Come now. I've seen her fight. That style is far too distinctive for me not to notice."

Barry smirked. "If you really know how effective it is, then you know how badly I'm about to kick your ass."

Kuvira grinned and chuckled. "Foolish bravado. Such a Beifong trait, wouldn't you say?"

He shrugged, then charged toward her and dove away from the first cable attack, two shards of metal flying toward him a moment later. One sliced through the arm of his suit, grazing his bicep, but he powered through the pain to drive a shoulder into her armored gut. His head shot up into her chin, snapping her head upward, followed by an uppercut and jab. Neither of the latter landed.

"Enough."

His uppercut and jab were snatched in both her hands as she drove a knee into his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him, and sent two metal projectiles to encase his wrists like cuffs. They carried him into the air and slammed him against the ground, then expanded their excess to form cables that latched onto the concrete floor. Barry struggled against the restraints uselessly, breathing heavily as she approached him with measured steps.

"It's over, Flash. You've lost."

He lunged forward, not budging an inch. She used the concrete beneath him to restrain his legs as well, his snarling expression clear as day.

"Now…why don't we find out who's behind the mask?"

The Flash pulled his head away uselessly, shaking it from side to side until she got a firm grip around his neck and reached for the top of his cowl. Kuvira pulled it back and off in one movement. Her smirk vanished as her eyes went wide as saucers.

"…Barry Allen?"

He stared at her, lips parted. "How do you know my name?"

Kuvira snorted and chuckled as she blinked a few times. "I don't think there's an informed soul in the _world_ who could forget the face of the man that stole the Avatar's heart." She started pacing, shaking her head. "Of course. It all makes sense now: the partnership between the Flash and the Avatar, your fierce protectiveness of her." She stopped and looked over at him. "And your style. You work directly under Chief Beifong with the police, don't you?"

He didn't answer, but she wasn't expecting him to.

Her head shook slowly. "I honestly can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner. It's so _obvious_ now."

Barry managed a sardonic smirk. "That's what most people say when they find out."

"Hm." Kuvira faced away from him, hands tucked behind her back. "Tell me something, Barry." She paused for a moment. "Why do you want to stop me?" She looked back at him. "Why do we have to be enemies?" Her body turned toward him as she approached and crouched in front of the now-former speedster. "All I want is for my people to remain safe and secure, same as you. Are my methods truly enough to make me inherently odious? Or is this personal?"

He turned his chin up at her. "You're the smart one. You tell me."

Kuvira sighed hard. "Look. I know you don't approve of what I'm doing, but do you at least understand why?"

"That question implies that the ends somehow justify the means. They don't. You were willing to murder a defenseless woman to accomplish your ends."

Kuvira scowled. "She wasn't so defenseless when she held half a mountain over my head."

"You're exaggerating."

She shrugged and stood. "Not by much."

Barry sighed in concession. "Korra didn't have a choice."

"Why? Why should she stand in my way to begin with? I'm trying to bring order and stability to a nation that's had neither for quite some time."

"By imposing your will on others, without consent or necessity."

She groaned and started pacing again. "It _is_ necessary! Don't you understand, Allen?"

"No. _Please_ , explain it to me."

Kuvira frowned. "The only way to make lasting change in this world is with power. Sometimes it takes political power, or oratory power. The ability to shift entire _crowds_ with nothing but words. And at first, I only had to exert that much. But as time went on, and people lost sight of what was truly in their best interest, they started to push back. I _could_ have given up, could've allowed the independent states to retain their autonomy, but what would that do except allow more division and chaos?"

"It would've given the people the freedom to choose their own path."

She snorted. "They already _had_ that. It was given to them when Zaheer murdered the Earth Queen, and what did they choose to do with it? Loot, pillage, burn, destroy." A shrug. "It was chaos, anarchy. Like you, I would like to believe that most people have the capacity to be a force for good, but potential…is different from reality. And the reality—is that most people, when given a choice between what's right and what's easy, will choose what's easy."

Barry fell silent, eyes down.

"Tell me, _Flash_ , how many criminals have you locked away, over and over again, because they keep making the same mistakes? How many times have you trusted your country's flawed legal system, only for it to let you down because someone misfiled paperwork, or had friends in the right places?"

His jaw tightened.

"My Earth Empire, though not without its flaws, will not yield decisions due to political expediency, or to save face with the press. We will exercise justice and punishment to the full extent of our laws, no matter _who_ is on the receiving end." Kuvira crouched in front of him. "Now tell me…does that really sound so bad?"

Barry stared at the ground for another couple of seconds, then looked up at her. "In theory…no."

She arched an eyebrow. "But?"

His fists and jaw tightened. "Who exactly is going to determine what's just? You?"

Kuvira shrugged. "Who else?"

He smirked sardonically and slowly shook his head. "See, that's your problem, Kuvira."

"What is?" She smirked and stood, crossing her arms. " _Please_ , explain it to me."

"You're so critical of everyone else, and how they always choose the wrong thing without guidance, but you're so superior and _arrogant_ , that you can't see the _danger_ in this course of action. You're making yourself judge, jury, and executioner; sovereign over everyone, and answerable to _no one_. There's no one to put you in check, and do you know why that's so dangerous?"

She arched an eyebrow.

Barry shrugged. "Because you can make the wrong decision too. Nobody is perfect, Kuvira, and all the good intentions in the world won't fix things when you go down the wrong path, because no one will have the strength or courage to pull you back. You said you didn't want a monarchy for your people, and yet that's _exactly_ what you're creating."

"But—"

"Dress it up however you like, Kuvira. There can't be an empire without an emperor—or empress—and that's you." Barry smirked sardonically. "I hope you're happy."

Kuvira stared at him for a while, then frowned and reached out toward him. The former speedster flinched as his restraints shifted, then released him from the ground only for his cuffs to be used to send him into the glass cell. It didn't close behind him immediately, but he didn't even try to fight.

"You might want to pull your mask back on."

Barry looked out at her. "What?"

Kuvira glanced back at him. "Did you think I would just expose you to the world?"

"Well…yeah."

Her head shook slowly. "I only needed to know for myself. I understand why you wear that cowl, Barry—to protect the ones you love. And…misguided though you are, you've consistently acquitted yourself with honor." She nodded to him. "You may keep your identity."

He blinked at her once, twice, then reached back and pulled the red mask over his features. "Thank you."

Kuvira smirked. "No, Flash. Thank _you_."

Barry stared at her uncomprehendingly until she waved one hand and opened the upper doors. A team of men shuffled inside, one of them holding a camera while the others worked on assembling a live uplink. He gaped outright as his vision flickered to Kuvira, who shrugged and strode off to see to further arrangements. The Flash's teeth gritted as he sat down, back pressed against the glass as he reluctantly conceded defeat.

…

Flash HQ, Republic City

"People of the world."

Korra's head snapped toward the live TV feed, along with Cisco, Asami, and Opal, who had refused to leave until she got word.

Kuvira's grim face was plastered onto its screen. "The chief regent of the Earth Empire addresses you today to deliver a message that…perhaps was not spoken strongly enough in Republic City." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do. Not. Get. In. Our. Way. Less than a week ago, I outmaneuvered Suyin Beifong when she tried to abduct me, then easily humbled the Avatar when she attempted to stop the unification of my empire. And today, in the heart of our territory…" She moved aside to allow the camera a new line of sight.

Korra's eyes widened. _No…_

"…even the legendary Flash bows to my will."

Korra wasn't listening to her anymore. Her eyes were locked onto Barry's caged form, not looking much worse for wear, but more defeated than she'd ever seen him.

"As you can see, he is being treated fairly, but rest assured, the next usurper to interfere in our affairs will not be so fortunate. That is all."

The broadcast fizzled out to static as Korra's senses all began to fade, her mouth hanging open as her hand pressed against the glass of the static-filled screen. Time passed in a blur as she stood there blankly, feeling movement around her, but not really snapping out of her stupor until Lin charged through the entrance.

"What the _hell_ happened?!"

"We don't know," Asami answered quickly. "He didn't contact us at _all_ before the broadcast. She must've ambushed him the moment he entered that warehouse. I mean, he _did_ say he wasn't planning on sticking around to fight, just run. Unless he saw an opportunity…"

"He better not have, otherwise I'll flay him alive _myself_."

Silence hung in the air for several seconds until quiet sniffling was heard from another section of the base. Korra and the others turned to Cisco, whose head was in his hands and shoulders were shaking.

"Cisco?" Korra asked in concern, approaching him. "Cisco, what's wrong?"

He peeked up at her with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "It was me. This is all my fault."

Asami sighed. "Cisco, no…no it's not. You just showed him the way. You couldn't have known—"

"I did."

His boss stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What?"

His lower lip trembled as he looked down, refusing to meet her eyes. "I knew it was a trap."

Lin approached him, voice lowered dangerously. "How?"

Cisco slowly met her intense gaze. "Because Kuvira told me."

A stunned silence instantly fell over the entire room, lasting about five seconds before it broke. Lin growled and picked up the younger man by his collar, slamming him against a nearby wall with both hands.

"Lin!"

"Aunt Lin, stop!"

"Chief," Korra said, gripping her tense right arm, "please, just slow down. There's an explanation for this." She turned to Cisco. "Cisco, _please_ tell me you have a good explanation."

He kept shaking. "Kuvira…ordered me to send him to that warehouse. Told me he wouldn't be hurt, that she just needed him out of the way for a while."

"And you just _obeyed_?" Lin growled. "Why?!"

He gasped desperately. "Because she has Dante!"

Korra blinked twice as Asami gasped behind her. "Who's Dante?"

"Dante," Asami answered, "is his brother."

Opal's jaw dropped. "So…she…"

Cisco nodded slowly, trembling. "I don't know how, but she found out about my abilities, what I could do, and…I guess she figured you guys would try to use me to find the Beifongs, so…she took preemptive measures. Had her people kidnap Dante and…contact me. They told me to send the Flash to that warehouse, or…" His throat closed.

"Or they'd kill him," Korra finished softly.

Cisco nodded numbly.

"So…my parents, my brothers," Opal said. "They were never there?"

He shrugged. "That'd be my guess."

Lin kept glaring, but eventually let the despondent engineer down, huffing as she started to pace. "Sato," she said suddenly, "how fast can one of your biplanes get me to that warehouse?"

"Uh…not fast enough to avoid detection."

"That's not what I asked."

"It's what you _should_ be asking," Korra interrupted.

Lin snapped to her with narrowed eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Kuvira just took down the _Flash_ ," she said, waving at the TV. "We're gonna need a slightly more though-out plan than 'just rush in there and snatch him.'"

Lin got up in her face, fists clenched. "I am _not_ about to stand here and do _nothing_! We need to act now, before she moves him, or _kills_ him, or something else—"

"I _know_!" Korra shouted back. "Trust me, Lin. _No one_ wants him back more than me. But running in there half-cocked, with little to no chance of escape isn't a plan, it's suicide."

Lin smirked sardonically, throwing her hands up. "Well, I am _certainly_ open to ideas."

"I have one."

The arguing pair turned toward a rather reluctant-looking Asami.

Asami smirked. "But, Chief…you're not gonna like it."

Lin's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "Try me."

…

5 hours later

Earth Empire territory

Barry sighed as he counted the grains of dust in his cell for the umpteenth time.

He looked up and tapped the glass, trying to get the attention of his guard. "You guys mind giving me something to read? Or just…like, do?"

"Quiet."

Barry rolled his eyes and sighed again. "Dude, do you have any idea how boring it gets in here? I mean seriously—"

"I _said_ shut up."

"Or what? I mean, it's not like you can get through this cell to beat on me. Wonder what Kuvira would think if you started mistreating her prisoners?"

The guard glared at him. "Are you _always_ this annoying?"

"No. Because I _usually_ have something to do."

The guard looked about ready to open the cell door and force him to shut his mouth when two distinct and familiar twangs sounded in the still air of the darkened room. Barry and the guard looked toward the source, the former grinning as soon as he saw green fletching.

"Oh, buddy…you are _so_ in trouble now."

The guard glanced at him, then assumed a fighting stance as he scanned the growing darkness, several bulbs shattering within seconds.

"I would just give up now if I were you, man. It's not worth it."

The guard snapped toward him and snarled. "I thought I _told_ you to—"

 _Twang_.

The metalbender slumped against the wall of the cell, his face pressed up against the glass rather comically. Barry arched an eyebrow and smirked as the guard's body was roughly shoved aside, a green-hooded figure left standing in his place.

Barry grinned. "You're late."

The Green Arrow tilted his head and gave him a look, then pulled something from his back quiver. "Press yourself against the side of this can. And cover your ears."

Barry's eyes widened as he saw Oliver plunge half the head of an arrow into the glass, cracking it just slightly.

"This is gonna be loud."

The former speedster complied and closed his eyes, a muffled explosion sounding through his gloved palms as the wall of the cell imploded. He straightened up and grabbed the green-gloved hand as Oliver hoisted him from the cell, both of them flinching when alarms started blaring throughout the warehouse.

Oliver turned to Barry. "That's your cue. Get us out of here."

Barry blanched. "Uh…about that…I can't."

His head tilted slightly. "What do you mean you can't?"

Barry's lips pursed. "Kuvira…she took my speed. I'll explain more later. Right now, we gotta get out of here, and I can't run us out."

Oliver sighed, then turned toward the main door as the shouts of approaching guards reached him. "Then we go to Plan B."

He drew back another explosive arrow and aimed at the door, then shifted upward slightly and released it, sending several hundred pounds of concrete blocking the entrance.

"That won't hold 'em for long," Barry said.

"I know. Just needed a few seconds for—"

Arrow fired another arrow upward, a cable arrow this time, and grabbed Barry around the waist as an auto-reel mechanism in his bow pulled them to the upper catwalk. The moment they touched down, they made for the upper exit door, Barry pausing to glance at the immobile bodies of Earth Empire guards. Oliver shot him a look.

"They're still alive, right?"

Green Arrow gave him a deadpan expression, then grabbed his collar and yanked him forward. "Let's _go_."

It was at the moment they stepped through the door that they realized…they screwed up.

At least two dozen Earth Empire soldiers, most nonbenders, were staring at them from both upper and lower levels. The entire room beyond was frozen for about five seconds…and then it was complete and utter chaos. Kunai, crossbow bolts, metal shards, and arrows starting flying by the dozens, the Flash and Green Arrow scrambling from one set of cover to the next in their mad dash for the exit.

"We need to exit on the west side!" Arrow shouted over the din. "I came in here from the south, on a boat. It's still docked."

"Sounds like a plan—"

Barry's answer was cut off when he was yanked off his feet by a metal cable. The pulling stopped abruptly when Oliver severed the cable with an arrow, then fired at the attacker several times, two polymer arrowheads sinking into weak points in his armor. Yelling in pain, the man tumbled over the side of the catwalk as his comrades closed in and Barry scrambled to his feet.

"Come on, come on!" Oliver shouted as he pulled Barry along, shoving him toward the exit.

Two nonbending soldiers charged up the stairs on Barry's left, and he turned toward them to grab the railings and drop-kick them both in the chest. They tumbled back down the steps, two more leaping over their bodies, toting long halberds. Barry's eyes widened as he ducked out of the way of a vertical swipe, countering with a roundhouse to the man's knee. He yelled in pain, grip going just limp enough for Barry to grab his weapon and use it to deflect a slash from the other man. The blade of the halberd cut Barry's polearm in two, but he used the pieces as blunt instruments, battering his knee and other joints with several rapid strikes before thrust-kicking him over the railing.

When Barry turned around, he saw Oliver staring at him blankly. "What?"

Green Arrow pulled another arrow from his quiver and fired at Barry. The projectile flew right past his ear, and Barry turned around when he heard a _thunk_ from behind him to see the first charging guard slumping to the ground unconscious.

The former speedster jerked a thumb at the soldier. "I—knew he was there."

"Uh huh."

And with that, they took off again, managing to descend one floor without incident after Oliver practically dropped a section of the ceiling on top of a nonbending squad of soldiers. Finally getting close to the west end of the warehouse, Barry and Oliver entered a narrow section of hallway, suddenly coming to a stop when the way was blocked by a half-dozen Earth Empire soldiers. Four of them were toting various weapons, two were levitating card-like metal shards. The Flash and Green Arrow exchanged a look, then charged toward opposite sides of the group.

They ducked to the side when the metalbenders in the back sent their shards flying toward them as the nonbending guards did the same. Two arrows shot from Oliver's bow, tagging one metalbender while the other deflected it with a chunk of concrete. The other soldiers moved in all at once, Oliver scattering them with a tear gas arrow to the wall. The Flash and Green Arrow charged in as one, slamming their opponents against whatever hard objects they could find. The _thwack_ of Oliver's bow smacking into armor and exposed flesh sounded through the hallway as Barry managed to disarm one guard, then kick him in the diaphragm, sending him flying back into a wall.

One of the other guards attempted to tackle Barry, but found himself reeling when a hard knee was driven into his solar plexus. The Flash used his newfound leverage to dump him onto his comrade, but recoiled when the whir of a blade slicing through air reached his ears. One of the nonbending guards was using a broadsword with rather sloppy technique, which is the only reason he wasn't cut open on the first swipe. The second one was dodged on one side, and the third never came close, since Barry used an opening to lunge toward his right side mid-swing and pin his arm in a painful bar.

He twisted the man's wrist, causing him to drop the sword, then spun him to slam into the wall back-first, followed by an elbow to his face. A concrete projectile slammed into Barry's lower torso, knocking the wind out of him. The sounds of a fierce struggle reached his ears as he scrambled to regain his footing, finding himself on the receiving end of a three-way beatdown when three of the nonbending guards recovered. His arms desperately warded off their strikes as he felt bruises beginning to form all over his body, a fierce yell preceding a lunge that brought the hard crown of his skull into the lower ribs of one man.

Dual backhands stunned the other two, an explosion of pain shooting through his ribs as the one he'd head-butted drove an uppercut into his chest. In response, Barry shin-kicked him in the side of his gut, then leapt into a flying cross that laid him out flat. An arrow stuck in the back of the man on his left as the one on his right drew a kunai and threw it at Oliver. He dodged it handily and countered with a flechette that dug into his throwing arm's shoulder. He gave Barry a nod, and the former speedster followed rather sluggishly, clutching his injured side. They came to an abrupt stop in the next room, Barry's eyebrows skyrocketing as they were confronted with a force of over a dozen metalbenders.

"So…do you have a Plan C?"

"Nope," Oliver replied. "Still Plan B."

Fast as lightning, he yanked something from his belt and threw it against the ground, a thick cloud of smoke obscuring their vision and their enemy's. Oliver whirled around toward the wall at their back—the western wall—and drew back an arrow in the same smooth motion. An explosion rocked the building's west side seconds before the Flash and Green Arrow stormed through a smoke-filled hole, coughing sporadically. Oliver pointed wildly at a small speedboat docked at a nearby pier.

"That one! Go!"

Barry nodded and took off at a sprint, noting that he was actually _outpacing_ Oliver—which was _not_ an easy feat. He was leaping into the boat just seconds later, the _twang_ of Green Arrow's bow sounding behind him as he no doubt warded off the veritable army of benders about to drop on top of them. Barry fumbled with the keys of the boat for a moment before turning the ignition, heart sinking to the bottom of the sea when the engine sputtered briefly before failing. His teeth clenched.

 _I did_ not _come all this way for this, so work you useless piece of—_

He slammed the dashboard with one hand, then tried the ignition again. This time, it roared to life with ease. Barry punched the throttle to its max, the boat shooting off through the water as he steered it clear of the pier. Oliver fired one last warding arrow, breathing a sigh of relief (both his side and back quivers were nearly empty), then turned toward the front of the boat, tapping Barry's shoulder.

"I'll take over."

His head shook. "Dude, I've been doing nothing for the past five hours. Just…let me go for a while."

Oliver's lips pursed as he nodded slowly, smirking. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Chief Beifong."

"Ah. Figures."

"Yeah, she insisted that I know how to fight without my speed. Said it would make me a better fighter _with_ my speed. She was right. It's how I was able to take on the Reverse-Flash as well as I did."

"Huh. Oh, before I forget—"

Barry glanced back at him, seeing him fumble around in a compartment on the boat.

"There's someone who'd like to talk to you."

Barry felt something being pressed against his hand, and he reached over to grab an earpiece. He pulled his cowl back and placed the device in his ear, then tapped it once. Static occupied the other line for a moment before his ear was filled with a familiar voice.

"Barry?"

He smiled. "Hey, gorgeous."

A massive sigh of relief came from Korra's line. "Guys, he's okay."

He heard some background murmurs, but nothing distinct.

"Bear…you scared the hell out of me, out of _all_ of us. How are you doing?"

"Ah…" he cringed, "not so hot."

"And—what's that noise?"

He assumed she meant the engine. "That, love, is the speedboat I'm riding back home."

"…riding?"

"Yes."

"You're…riding in a boat?"

"Driving it, actually."

"Barry—"

"It's gone, Korra," he said flatly. "Kuvira took it." A shuddering breath came from his throat as the full gravity of his words settled in. "My speed. It's gone."

Silence reigned over the line for a moment. "Barry…I'm so sorry."

His lips pursed. "Yeah, me too, love." He looked down, fingers tightening around the wheel. "Me too."

* * *

AN: The next three chapters of this arc will pretty much alternate between focusing on Korra and Barry. Not much else to say. This, for me, was a difficult chapter to write, but so worth it for what comes next.

Hope you're enjoying this so far and are looking forward to more, because holy crap there is a lot more fun to be had.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	43. Powerless

Powerless (adj): to be without ability, influence, or power.

8 hours later

Yue Bay, Republic City

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Given a choice between being alone and being vulnerable, under most circumstances, many people would choose the former. Korra certainly had, more times than she could have counted. Barry was a bit different. He'd choose to be alone, but never because he himself was threatened in some way. No, he'd choose to be alone to protect others from pain and danger, because that was just the kind of man he was. But there were times, as they'd both realized, where the choice was forcibly removed from their grasp, and they were irresistibly shoved in one direction or the other.

As Korra stared down at a dozing Barry, she felt a hard tug in her chest and stepped down to land softly on Oliver's boat. Her head cocked slightly as she watched him sleep. He'd gotten out of his Flash suit and into a fresh change of slightly ill-fitting clothes (probably loaned from Oliver, based on how baggy the sleeves were). Oliver himself was in a brown leather jacket and denim, wiping sleep out of his eyes as he rose to his feet.

"Need me to wake him?" he asked softly, nodding at Barry.

Korra turned to him and smiled with a shake of her head. "Wouldn't do him much good." She reached down and brushed some of his hair out of his face. "He's had a hell of a day."

"Yeah," Oliver agreed. "Fighting for his life twice in twenty-four hours, once without powers?"

She snorted and crossed her arms. "Sounds like every day for you, is that your point?"

Oliver smirked and held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't say anything."

"Uh huh."

Her head shook slowly as she approached Barry's immobile form, a little gentle airbending lifting him from the seat he was laid out on and into her arms. She grunted a little upon receiving the full force of his weight.

"Oh come on, it can't be _that_ bad. Not with _those_ arms."

Korra shot him a look. "You're certainly welcome to try, Oliver. He's a _lot_ heavier than he looks."

He held up his hands in surrender and chuckled softly. "I'll take your word for it."

She moved toward the stairs, Oliver steadying the boat so she had a firm path up. "But seriously, he's put on quite a bit of muscle mass since I first met him."

"That's mostly on me, I think."

They both turned toward the newcomer, Oliver tilting his head slightly in respect.

"Chief Beifong."

Lin nodded back. "Mr. Queen." She reached out and took his hand firmly, holding it for several seconds as she stared at him. "Thank you."

Korra blinked hard, still not used to seeing the softer side of Lin that Barry tended to bring out in her.

Oliver smiled understandingly. "You're welcome." He released her hand and cast a glance at Barry. "He's my friend. It's the least I could do."

Lin nodded sharply, then reached out toward Korra. "I'll take him."

The Avatar blinked and nodded, softly handing off Barry's unconscious form. She felt a slight pang of envy when Lin took his weight without any outward sign of fatigue or struggle, as if he were no heavier than a canvas bag. With a gentleness and care uncharacteristic to the normally hard woman, she carried him to her personal vehicle and climbed into the driver's seat, driving away without another glance or word to the two still standing on the pier. They stared dumbfounded as her taillights faded into the distance.

Korra exchanged a look with Oliver. "You saw that too, right?"

Oliver shook his head slowly. "Saw it. Still don't believe it." He stared back at the fading red. "I guess it's true what they say."

Korra turned toward him as he climbed back into his boat. "What?"

He smirked. "Love does strange things to people."

"Yeah…" Korra glanced at the fading car, then turned back to Oliver. "Safe travels, Ollie."

He smiled at her. "Thanks. And…good luck, with everything."

"Thank you." She watched him ride off into the early morning horizon, not a speck of sunlight present as the darkness swallowed him. "Something tells me we're gonna need it."

…

Next day

Sato Estate

Ice-blue eyes slowly flickered open, blinking several times before finally focusing on a blurry form in the distance. Barry blinked once more to clear out the morning haze, vision sharpening to reveal an unarmored, gray-haired figure writing at a desk. _His_ desk. Slowly, he pressed himself upright, still mostly clad in Oliver's clothes, but missing the jacket and shoes. He took and released a long, quiet breath, pushing himself from the bed and nearly wincing when his feet made contact with hardwood floor.

 _Can't remember the last time I had blisters._ He snorted softly. _Probably from all the running yesterday._ A sharp breath entered his lungs. _Running…_

He held a hand up in front of his face, attempting to vibrate it. It still moved with barely a small shake. His fingers slowly curled into a white-knuckled fist, jaw tightening to a clench as frustration and outrage built within him. Before he knew what was happening, he was breathing heavily, there was a new hole in the wall above his nightstand, and warm liquid was trickling down his fingers from two new cuts in his knuckles. Gaping outright, he felt blood rush to his face and gingerly pulled his fist from the hole, staring down at the appendage in shock.

"You done throwing a tantrum?"

Barry nearly jumped clear out of his skin, snapping around to see Lin staring at him with a reprimanding eyebrow. "Yes?" he said uncertainly.

"Good," she replied firmly, approaching him. "Because that skin's not gonna heal like it used to."

He blinked rapidly as she reached for his hand. "I can take care of it just f—"

"Boy, you can't take care of wet _tissue_ paper, let alone someone as reckless as you."

Barry's eyebrows skyrocketed. He hadn't heard her use _that_ tone since he'd accidentally wrapped his first car around a tree trying to make up time getting to work (he was a rookie at the time). She'd been _furious_.

 _Exactly_ like she looked now.

"Do you have _any_ idea how much of an idiot you are?!"

If Barry had been worried that his punch would wake the house, he wasn't now. Lin's screaming took good care of that.

"Going off half-cocked, half-assed, with nothing for a plan except to run headlong into danger!"

"Because that's what I do!" he shouted back. "I run in and do what needs to be done when no one else can. It was your _family_ on the line, Chief. So yes, I went in headlong, rushing to the finish. Because _that_ is who the Flash is: the last line of defense. That is who I am."

Lin stared at him. "Who you _were_."

Barry felt a hammer striking his chest.

"But now, Kuvira stole your speed, sent a message to demoralize the entire _world_ , and ensured that there is now _no one_ capable of even standing up to her."

He threw his hands up. "If you were so worried that something like this would happen, why'd you let me go in the first place?"

She laughed humorlessly and started pacing. "As if I could _stop_ you!" Her head shook slowly, hands on her hips. "Barry, after all these years, if there is one thing I've discovered, it's that when you set yourself on something, nothing and no one will _ever_ deter you from it. Not me, not your girlfriend…not even your father."

Barry frowned and looked away.

"And now, I wish…I wish I'd at least tried."

He looked up to see disappointment in her features and snapped. "Why? Because the city lost its trump card?"

Lin looked at him with rare but genuine hurt. "No. Because you just lost a part of your identity." She backed away, making for the door. "And I can only imagine how much that's going to hurt you."

She left moments later, a stunned Barry standing and staring blankly into space. It took almost two full minutes before he moved, and then it was only in response to a knock on his door.

"Come in," he croaked.

The door opened slowly, Asami's raven head peeking through to send him a concerned look. "Hey, Bear. I…overheard shouting. Wanted to make sure you were okay."

He stayed silent for a moment. "No. I'm not." Barry strode past her, patting her shoulder briefly. "But thanks for asking."

She followed him from the room. "Bear, if you need to talk…I'm here, okay?"

He smiled and nodded. "I know. Thanks. But, I think what I need right now is a little familiarity."

She smirked. "Going downstairs?"

His head shook. "Downtown."

"Ah." Asami dug into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "Take my car."

He smiled a little. "Thanks."

"Hey—" she pulled him into a tight hug, "—anytime."

…

20 minutes later

Police HQ

" _Barry_?"

Barry smirked at Mako's incredulous query as he strode toward the stairs to his lab. "I _am_ still alive, you know."

"Well…yeah, I know that, but…I thought you'd be resting." The detective walked with him. "Heard you came back with a few scrapes that didn't heal up right away."

"I did, but…" he shrugged, "you know me. Inaction's never sat well with me, even before—you know."

"Yeah…well, it turns out you came back at the right time. Got a nasty little crime scene down near the Spirit Wilds." Mako handed him a folder as they entered the crime lab. "Quadruple homicide. By all indications, all perpetrated by the same suspect."

Barry frowned as he opened the folder, staring at pictures of four dead bodies, all with rather large pools of blood around them. "When were these taken?"

"Afternoon yesterday, but according to the ME assigned to the case, they've been dead nearly three _days_."

He looked up at the detective. "Why weren't they found sooner?"

"Look at the location."

Barry frowned in confusion, then read and reread the address three times before it sunk in. "Mako, that's right next to—"

"The breach. I know."

He gave the detective a look. "Please don't tell me we're dealing with another metahuman, because that's _all_ we need right now."

"Don't know anything for sure. There were no witnesses. But, according to the ME, all the victims were killed with blades—specifically, flint blades."

"And they know that how?"

"Because they found little shards of the stuff inside the wounds."

Barry shrugged and nodded, looking the file over again. "Makes sense." A few seconds later, he noticed Mako giving him a sideways look. "What?"

"What? Yesterday, you went toe-to-toe with Kuvira, got your powers taken, and fought your way out of a secret Earth Empire Prison with only the Green Arrow for backup. And here you are, the very next morning, looking at a murder investigation. So tell me, exactly why shouldn't I be a little nervous?"

Barry sighed and shook his head. "Because…this is what I need right now. Some…aspect of normalcy."

"Yeah…that's exactly what worries me."

Another sigh. "Mako, what exactly would you have me do?"

"Take a day off, visit Korra, grab lunch with Hal, go _home_. Something that doesn't require you to face ugliness and death, for just _one_ day."

Barry smiled and shook his head. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

He looked up at his friend. "Because when I take a day off, people die."

Mako sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I don't mean to sound fatalistic, but people are gonna die _anyway_. It's a reality of this world, Barry. You can't save everyone."

"Doesn't mean I shouldn't try."

"Yeah, Barry, it kinda does."

Barry stared at him incredulously.

"And let me tell you why. Even with your speed—which is not an advantage you have anymore—trying to save everyone, to be everywhere at once just isn't feasible. What's more, it's _harmful_. You go too fast, run yourself too ragged, you start getting sloppy, start making mistakes. And who does _that_ help? No one, least of all you. Sooner or later, those mistakes _will_ catch up to you, and you or someone else will get hurt." His lips pursed. "If I'm being totally honest, I'm almost glad you lost your speed when you did."

Barry gaped at him.

Mako shrugged and headed for the door. "If nothing else, it'll force you to finally accept the truth."

"And what truth is that?" he asked edgily.

The detective turned to face him. "That no matter how strong or powerful you get…" he shrugged, "you're still human."

Barry stared at the empty doorway for a while, turning his eyes to one of his more prized photos and feeling a smile twitch at the corners of his lips. He strode over to the frame and picked it up off his desk, letting memories and feelings wash over him like rain. On the white-and-black-tinted paper was a picture of Henry, Lin, and himself; right after Korra had left to forge her own path. He had finally managed to convince her to take time off so they could go visit his dad in the Fire Nation. At Henry's suggestion and Barry's behest, Lin agreed to go with them on a camping trip in the volcanic jungles of the archipelago.

In the process, however, they'd run across a group of bandits harassing tourists and locals. Within a matter of minutes, the chief and the Flash had them all begging to be arrested, and within the hour, they were behind bars and the camping trip had been saved. The picture had been taken against Lin's opinion after Henry and Barry had a good laugh about the whole situation, but though she looked less than enthusiastic about it, he could still see the hint of a smile on her lips. His ice-blue eyes closed briefly as he remembered that day. And with a sudden rush of fondness, he found all anger and frustration leave him.

A minute later, he was knocking on her office door and stepping through, her green eyes immediately locking onto his thin form. A few moments of silence passed.

"Yes?"

Barry's lips pursed as he folded his hands in front of him. "I'm sorry."

Lin blinked. "For?"

He looked up at her confusedly. "This morning. And…for running off yesterday. The truth is…I knew you were right, about everything. I just…wasn't ready to listen." He nodded slowly. "And now I am."

The chief stared at him for a few moments before sighing hard and rising from her desk. She further surprised him by being the one to initiate a hug, the younger man responding in kind despite his initial shock.

"Barry."

"Yes?"

She pulled away, searching his eyes. "I…I'm tough on you because I care. You know that, right? That's the only reason I've _ever_ leaned so hard on you. It was never because I thought you were inadequate or untalented, I just…I always wanted you to reach your full potential. Because even back then, on the night your mother died, I knew. I could see it, even in the eyes of that frightened child."

Barry's voice cracked. "Chief—"

"I never wanted you to be in the field."

He blinked hard, staring at her blankly.

She shrugged. "Call it overprotectiveness, but…before you became the Flash, there was something…comforting about knowing that no matter how crazy things got, you were always stuck in that lab of yours, and not in the line of fire. And—I _know_ you're trying to go your own way, and that that way has inherent dangers. Just…" her eyes closed tightly, " _please_ tell me that you understand." Her eyes opened to look into his. "Tell me that, and it'll make all the fights and frustration worth it."

Barry stared back at her for a few seconds, vision going blurry as he felt his eyes fill and a sting lance through his chest. He immediately pulled her back into a tight embrace, fingers curling around the contours of her armor as he refused to let go. She held him back just as tightly, her warm cheek pressed against the side of his neck.

"Do you understand?" she whispered.

He nodded into her shoulder, tears streaming down his face and her armor unhindered. "Yes," he croaked. "Yes, I understand."

She took and released a long, ragged breath. "Okay. Okay."

They stood there like that for what was certainly several full minutes, neither willing to let go of the other just yet.

Barry gulped hard to clear his blocked throat, needing to voice this before the moment ended. "I love you…Mom."

Lin's body immediately tensed against his, and for a moment, he thought he'd said too much. The instant the moment passed, she began to relax again, her arms curling around him even further (if that were possible). "I love you too."

Barry basked in the moment, in the impossible lightness he felt, and, yes, in the sappiness of it all (surrogate mother or no, he already knew Lin would murder him if he told anyone in the station about this…incident—they'd never let her hear the end of it). As with all things, however, the moment inevitably had to end, and they pulled away from each other, both clearing their throats loudly and recomposing themselves. Barry turned for the door without another word, getting halfway there before something occurred to him.

"Hey, Chief…why wasn't your sister's family at that warehouse? According to Kuvira, they never were."

She immediately tensed.

"Did Cisco mess up?"

Lin's jaw worked as her expression darkened. "Yeah. He messed up, all right."

…

5 minutes later

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly."

Barry looked from Lin to the cell and back again. "Oh come on, Chief. He's no threat to anyone."

Her arms crossed sternly. "Tell that to—oh right, _you_ were the one he harmed."

Barry's head shook. "Kuvira did that, and after what you told me? Tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing in his position, if it were Su, or _me_."

Lin's jaw tightened, but she remained silent.

He sighed hard. "If it helps speed things along, I formally drop all charges, which means you have no legal right to keep him here."

She gave him a look. " _Really_?"

"Really! If you're gonna be a stickler about this, I have to stick you right back."

Her green eyes rolled as she caved and metalbent the bars out of the way. "You don't have to rub it in," she grumbled, stepping away.

Barry rolled his eyes and approached Cisco, smiling wide. "Come on, man. You've spent enough time in here." His smile fell. "Cisco?"

The man on the inside of the cell did _not_ look like his friend. For one, he looked… _depressed_. Cisco _never_ looked depressed. He was never, _ever_ even in the _vicinity_ of depressed.

"Cisco—"

Cisco got up, strode toward the exit—and pulled the bars back into place, unable to meet Barry's eyes. He sat back down a moment later.

Barry gaped at him. "Cisco, what are you—"

"This is where I belong, man." His _voice_ even sounded different, far rougher than usual. "I turned on you, when you needed me the most."

"Dude…that wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was." Cisco looked up at him with grief-twisted features. "She pushed me up against a wall, and I caved. And…you lost…you lost everything."

Barry sighed and rolled his eyes, motioning to Lin, who moved the bars again. "Now you're just bein' melodramatic." He strode into the cell and sat next to his despondent friend. "Cisco. Hey, look at me, buddy."

Reluctantly, he did.

"I put you in the position to have to make that kind of a choice. It's…what I signed you up for when we became friends, and I never imagined that the threat would come to your doorstep, but…no one can blame you for what you did." He sent a pointed look at Chief Beifong, who threw her hands up and sighed.

"But I betrayed you—"

"To save your brother." Barry shrugged. "And you did exactly what you were supposed to. He's your family, man. The only thing that you proved with your decision…is that you love your brother."

"Yeah," he exclaimed, whirling on Barry, "but he's not my only brother!"

Silence hung in the air for several seconds as the former speedster chewed it over, standing after a while. His head shook slowly.

 _Oh, so it's just gonna be_ all _the feels today, isn't it?_

He sighed hard and turned back to Cisco. "You know what? You're right. You did betray me, one of your closest friends, your family. You're right about that."

Cisco's face fell further.

Barry crouched in front of him, so Cisco could still see his expression. "Here's where you're wrong. You think that just because you sold me out that it somehow makes you…unworthy. That what you did was unforgiveable. The truth is…I'd have been _disappointed_ if you'd made a different call."

Cisco stared at him agape.

"Kuvira had— _has_ your brother, Cisco. Whatever condition I'm in, we're both still alive now. If you hadn't sent me to that warehouse, _he_ wouldn't be." Barry rested a hand on Cisco's knee. "So come on, man. Get up, let's get outta here. Do something useful." He smiled and stood up, holding out his hand. "Come help me catch some bad guys."

Cisco kept staring at him, eyes blinking rapidly. Barry just kept smiling, his hand hovering until the other man finally caved and took it. Barry grinned wider as he hauled Cisco to his feet, curling an arm around his torso and patting his back with a laugh. Cisco managed a small smile. Barry counted it as progress. And together, they left the station in Asami's car. On the way to their destination, Barry kept up conversation with the semi-despondent Cisco, finally getting a laugh out of him halfway there. He made a mental note to thank Mako when he saw him next.

All that running around had had him running himself ragged, missing things that were so obvious, they might as well have been sitting on his nose. He made another mental note never to let it happen again.

…

30 minutes later

Flash HQ

"All right, let's get this show on the road!"

Barry gave Cisco a thumbs-up as he started a fast walk, then accelerated to a light jog, slowly but surely falling into a run, and then a full-on sprint. His features twisted in pain and exertion as he pushed himself harder and harder until his legs gave out from lactic acid buildup. He leapt off the Cosmic Treadmill's moving floor and braced his legs on either side, breathing heavily and leaning against its front. Barry looked over at a frowning Asami and barely smiling Cisco.

"If it helps any," offered Cisco, "you're still faster than the average duck. Guess all that physical training way back when really paid off."

Barry's eyes rolled as he sighed and dismounted the treadmill. "So I can run a six-minute mile now instead of a three-second mile. Big whoop."

"Try _four_ minutes," Cisco said.

He stared at him. "Four minutes? For real?"

"If you kept up your regular running pace? Oh yeah."

Barry turned to the meter readings of the treadmill (upgraded thanks to Earth-One tech). "Huh. So _that's_ why I outran Oliver."

"You did what now?"

"All of this is good and well," Asami interrupted from her station, "but it doesn't solve anything. You still don't have your speed, and if these murders are really being perpetrated by a meta from Earth-One—"

"Then we have our badass Chief of Police and the _Avatar_ to stop 'em," Cisco answered.

Barry grinned. "That's right."

The two men exchanged a high-five and laughs, even managing to get a smile out of Asami. Suddenly, the main door buzzed with a new entry, and Barry turned toward the door to see a sour-faced Korra bee-lining for him.

He frowned. "Uh-oh. You've got wonky-face. Why do you have wonky-face?"

Korra ignored Asami's question of, "Wonky-face?" and placed her hands on her hips. "It's almost evening, Barry, and you haven't even called. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were actively avoiding me."

Barry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before placing both hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, babe. It's just uh…" he glanced at Cisco and Asami, then shrugged, "it's been a long day."

A sudden—and entirely unexpected—burst of wind and golden lightning flew through the Cortex as the entirety of the room's occupants turned toward a newcomer.

In a red-and-gold Flash suit identical to Barry's.

"Aaand it's about to get longer, isn't it?"

"Afraid so," the newcomer said almost regretfully.

Korra stared at him agape. "Barry…is that—"

"Barry Allen," the Flash answered, pulling his cowl back. "Earth-One." He waved at her with a grin. "Hi."

She waved back, looking between the two Barrys blankly.

Barry-One turned toward the sensor stations. "Cisco, my man."

He reached over and shook his hand.

"And you're—Asami Sato." Barry-One's eyes went wide as saucers, color rising in his cheeks as he forced himself not to stare. "Okay…" he looked away rapidly, pacing, "yep, they weren't exaggerating."

"Dude," Barry-Two interrupted with a hand across his throat, "keep it on the DL, 'kay? Don't make it weird."

"Right, right."

"No offense, Flash," Asami said, looking a little confused at their exchange, "but what are you doing here? I doubt this is a social call."

His expression went grim. "It's not." He sighed hard, pulling a smart phone from one of his pockets and projecting an image onto a far wall. "About three days ago, the security around the portal linking your world to mine was breached, and one man came through."

"We know," Asami replied, holding up the picture of the crime scene. "Already saw his handiwork."

Barry-One's head shook slowly. "That's not even the tip of the iceberg."

"How do you know?" Korra asked. "Who is this guy? Metahuman?"

His head shook again. "Worse. An immortal."

Several pairs of eyebrows shot skyward as the projected image shifted to a bearded man with long hair.

"His name is Vandal Savage, and he's been alive for thousands of years on my world. In our future, he attempts to conquer my Earth, but some friends of mine traveled to that time and stopped him. In the present, though, after we defeated him the first time, he reconstituted himself, tried to start more trouble. During the conflict, one of those friends I mentioned may have… _accidentally_ let slip that they beat him at that future date."

"Let me guess," Korra interrupted. "He discovered that he was doomed to fail on your Earth, so he figured he could try his luck on ours. Am I right?"

Barry-One nodded gravely. "I would assume as much."

"And you're here to bring him back," she added.

The other Barry winced and scratched the back of his head. "Uh…I would. You guys _know_ I would."

"But?" Barry-Two asked with an arched eyebrow.

He exchanged a look with his doppelganger. "My Earth has more than a few problems of its own right now. As dangerous as Savage is, he hasn't had the time necessary to establish a network of operatives on your Earth just yet. Not like on mine."

"Barry," Asami said, rubbing her eyes, "this couldn't _possibly_ have happened at a worse time."

The foreign Flash exchanged looks with all of them. "What? Why?"

They all looked toward Barry-Two, who answered, "Because, man…I lost my speed."

He blinked. "You what?"

Barry shrugged. "Remember that machine I mentioned? The one we were gonna use to de-power the Reverse-Flash?"

He nodded.

"Well, Kuvira somehow got a hold of the schematics and built one of her own. Used the Beifongs as bait and lured me into a trap. Near as we can tell…I no longer have any trace of the Speedforce in my system."

The other Flash sighed hard and rubbed his eyes, pacing. "That's rough, man. I've been through that once."

Korra lit up. "And you have your speed back? How'd you do it?"

He cringed a little. "I—don't really think that'll help."

"And why not?" a new voice asked from the entrance.

Barry-One's eyes went wide as saucers as Lin Beifong came into view. "You're—exactly how I imagined you."

She arched an eyebrow. "You didn't answer my question."

His head shook rapidly. "Right. Uh. Well…just a wild guess, but I don't think your Flash got his powers from a failed particle accelerator explosion."

They all stared at him blankly, Asami shrugging and nodding. "Yeah, okay, don't think we have those here."

"Yet."

"So," Lin said, "as per usual, you're dumping another one of your problems on our shoulders and splitting."

Barry-One frowned at her. "Like I already told them, my Earth has issues of its own." He turned to his doppelganger. "Speed or no speed, you have a fantastic team here. I _know_ you can bring Savage down."

"And what about my speed?" Barry-Two asked.

He shrugged. "Since your background is totally different from mine, best advice I can give is to go back to the beginning. Re-create the initial conditions that made you the Flash."

Barry exchanged a look with Korra, chuckling nervously. "Uh, yeah, I don't think that's gonna be happening for another ten thousand years."

His lips pursed. "You'll figure it out." He smirked. "I should know."

Barry smiled back as the other Flash headed for the exit.

"Oh, one more thing."

They turned to him.

"Savage is in possession of an ancient Nth-metal dagger from our Earth that has…unusual properties."

"Define 'unusual,'" said Cisco.

"Like, glows-blue-and-fires-blasts-of-destructive-energy, unusual."

Barry-Two smiled sarcastically and exchanged a look with Korra. "Great."

"Yeah…sorry to dump this on you and split. I really am. Trust me, there are a whole lot of reasons I can't stick around. Otherwise, I'd deal with Savage myself."

"It's fine. Get going, man. We have an interdimensional criminal to catch, and you have a whole other world to protect. We got this end."

He smiled. "Good luck."

The Flash of Earth-One took off a moment later, leaving only a burst of disturbed air in his wake.

"Since we know basically nothing about Savage's movements here," Asami said, "I think having Cisco vibe is out of the question."

"Agreed," Lin said. "Time to do this the old-fashioned way."

"I'm on it," Barry said, grabbing his jacket. "I'll be back at the station if you guys need me."

"We'll keep working on a way to get your speed back," Cisco said. "Boss? Need a hand with something."

"Sure."

Korra looked around at all the movement in the room, eventually turning toward Barry and Lin, who were leaving together. "What should _I_ do?"

Barry looked back at her and shrugged. "Train? When my _doppelganger_ calls someone dangerous in _that_ tone, you know they're gonna be downright lethal. Get in contact with anyone who might be able to help us apprehend him and give 'em a heads up."

Korra nodded. "Got it."

Barry headed for the exit with Lin, smiling to himself. His doppelganger was right. Speed or no speed, he had one hell of a team.

…

4 hours later

Flash HQ

"I got him!"

Asami and Cisco's heads snapped up toward Barry.

"I took a second look at the people Savage killed near the breach. At first, I assumed it was just coincidence, a case of wrong place, wrong time."

"But?" Asami asked.

"Turns out they were scientists assigned to _study_ the breach, and some of the few who have knowledge of Earth-One."

Cisco frowned and shrugged. "Why would he go after _them_?"

"Because any knowledge of Earth-One may also include knowledge of how to defeat him," Asami concluded.

"Exactly," Barry agreed. "So, I had Mako compile a list of any and all researchers who may have traveled or attained knowledge about the other Earth, and I pinpointed the most likely target. Tell me, who on this list have we seen before, on _both_ Earths?"

Asami and Cisco scanned it for a few seconds, their eyes widening moments later as Asami responded first. "Dr. Harrison Wells."

Barry nodded. "Korra, Mako, and Lin are on their way to his place right now."

Cisco grinned. "Got some more good news for you."

"Maybe," Asami tacked on somewhat reluctantly. "I'm a bit skeptical about this idea."

Barry looked at them both. "What idea?"

Cisco's lips pursed. "We may have a way to get your speed back, at least temporarily."

Barry straightened up suddenly. "Okay?"

"Remember how the other Flash said to go back to the beginning? Well, I didn't quite go _that_ far, but when going over notes from past cases, I ran across a few that were of…particular interest." He handed Barry a set of old papers. "Specifically these," he added, pointing to a paragraph and corresponding diagram.

Barry read the five lines several times before it sunk in and realization shone in his features. "Spirit batteries."

"Exactly. You lost your speed, just like the Reverse-Flash, and he used them to power himself."

"Which is _assuming_ that Barry still has some trace of the Speedforce in his system," Asami added. "Considering the power of the reverse speed engine Kuvira used…I'm not sure that's the case." She turned to face Barry fully. "The truth is, if we try to meddle with tech we don't understand, it could do more harm than good."

Barry's lips pursed as he stared at the notes. "Depending on what happens in the next couple of minutes, we may not have a choice." He looked up at Cisco. "Cisco, how long do you think it would take to assemble this enhancer?"

He shrugged. "I started on it the moment I found out. Should only take a few more minutes, max."

Barry nodded. "Good. Get to work."

Asami frowned as Cisco went back to his workstation. "I think this is a bad idea."

Barry shrugged. "At the moment, my gut happens to agree with you. Anything Thawne-related tends to turn out pretty sideways for us, but he _is_ a genius. If the spirit batteries he used to power himself run based on that schematic and formula, it'll work."

Her head shook slowly. "I just hope you don't have to use it."

He nodded. "Yeah. Me too."

…

Dragon Flats

Mako hammered the bottom of his fist on the front door of the Wells residence, the portal opening to reveal an irritated Dr. Wells.

"Been almost two years, Detective," he snapped. "Two decades wouldn't be enough after last time."

"Ahem," Lin interrupted loudly.

The scientist changed his tone instantly, seeming to straighten up a bit. "Chief Beifong."

"We have reason to believe that a dangerous fugitive from Earth-One is going to make an attempt on your life in the immediate future. We're here to take you and anyone in your household into protective custody."

"It's just me." He cleared his throat. "Let me get my coat."

Doctor Wells disappeared into his house for a few moments as Korra scanned the perimeter with narrowed eyes.

Mako gave her a sideways look. "What is it?"

"Not sure," she answered quietly, kneeling down.

Her eyes closed as she attempted to read the energy of her surroundings through a nearby spirit vine, but stopped instantly when a whiz of displaced air reached her ears. A rapidly formed earth wall narrowly stopped a fast-moving projectile—a flint knife, as she discovered upon inspection—from skewering her. A quick backward glance confirmed that Lin and Wells were exiting the house.

"Get him out of here, Chief!" Mako shouted, taking cover in a ready stance. "We'll handle Savage!"

She nodded and put herself between the open street and Wells as they moved toward the car in a crouched run, Korra and Mako serving as an additional barrier as they popped from cover to throw several elements in the direction of the knife's trajectory. A shadowy form in a trenchcoat leapt from an opposing rooftop to land somewhere in an adjacent alley. The rapidly setting sun wasn't doing their visibility any favors, and as Mako and Korra started to move in, they exchanged a nervous look. Turned out they had reason for concern, since a second later, a pair of high-powered headlights turned on, nearly blinding them and approaching at a dangerous speed.

"Down!" Korra shouted, tackling Mako out of the way of the incoming Satomobile.

She caught a flash of black beard as the car passed her, brows furrowing in confusion.

 _Where is he going?_

A brief glance upward answered her question, when she saw Lin and Wells travelling at rapid speeds via zipline. Korra leapt into the driver seat of Lin's squad car, Mako taking the passenger side a moment later as she keyed the ignition and took off at a breakneck speed. But, as a being thousands of years old, with decades of experience with Earth-One tech, Savage was no slouch at driving, and led them on a protracted chase through the city's busy streets in pursuit of Wells, managing to lead them all the way downtown before they closed the distance. Korra stamped on the gas when they rounded a corner, managing to catch the bumper of Savage's vehicle.

Mako took it a step further when he leaned out to the side and sent a bolt of lightning into one of the other vehicle's rear wheels, sending it spinning out of control. Just before the car flipped over entirely, Savage leapt from the driver's seat in a dive-roll, the metal deathtrap bouncing off the pavement several times before skidding to a stop in the town square in front of City Hall. Korra and Mako leapt from their vehicle and charged toward Savage, stopping about fifteen feet away as he faced them with two brandished knives.

A sinister smile came to his features. "I was wondering when you would take notice of my activities…Avatar Korra."

Korra arched an eyebrow. "You know who I am?"

He smiled wider. "I know who _all_ of you are." He swaggered toward them, twirling one knife. "The records on my Earth are quite…extensive." He smirked. "Tell me, would you like to know your future?"

The Avatar exchanged a look with Mako, then turned back to Savage with a tilt of her head. "Yeah, no thanks. Think I've had enough reality-bending paradoxes for a lifetime. Several, actually."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Suit yourself."

Immediately, the very air shifted, and one of the knives in Savage's grip began to glow. Exchanging a brief glance, Korra and Mako lunged in opposite directions as a beam of sapphire energy lanced through their last position. Glancing back, Korra's eyes widened when she saw the front of Lin's car melt into a twisted mess. The pair exchanged anther glance, then ran toward Savage from opposite sides, dodging two more blasts from the dagger and firing back a few attacks of their own. Fire, earth, air, and whatever the hell Savage was using crisscrossed the empty air in front of City Hall, their furious battle catching the attention of nearby civilians.

Several of which were news crews in possession of live-telecasting cameras.

…

Flash HQ

"This doesn't look good."

Barry had to silently agree as he, Cisco, and Asami watched the live news coverage of the Avatar and Mako's battle with Vandal Savage. Korra managed to pelt Savage with a barrage of earth projectiles, knocking him back a few feet and closing the distance in an attempt to disarm him of his weapons. Barry held his breath in anxiety and anticipation as Savage swung at her several times with both overhanded and underhanded strikes, the deadly blades swiping through air and stopping several times as Korra alternated with dodges and blocks as she pushed back against his wrists.

"Take him out, Korra," Asami muttered.

Barry gave her a sideways look, then tilted his head in agreement. Apart from Lin and the Green Arrow, Korra was the best hand-to-hand fighter he knew. If anyone could take a millennia-old madman on in close quarters, it was the girl with thousands of lifetimes of experience and biceps as big as—or debatably bigger than—his own. His heart jolted uncomfortably when Savage head-butted Korra and stabbed in her direction, the Avatar retreating as a storm of fire attacks assaulted the immortal from the side.

Savage snarled and countered with a sideways dive-roll, throwing a smaller knife in the detective's direction. Korra intercepted it with metalbending and sent it flying toward his right arm—the one bearing the Nth-metal dagger. Savage dropped it in a sudden burst of pain, snarling at Korra and lunging toward her with a powerful palm-heel that sent her flying backward. Barry's heart practically leapt from his chest as she hit the ground, bent over double and trying to recover as Savage stalked toward her with a new knife.

Mako grabbed him around the neck from behind, wrestling him to the ground, but finding himself thrown off as Savage used his own momentum against him. A single knife-throw cut a shallow line through Mako's left arm as the detective tried to dodge, Savage following up the attack with a thrust-kick to his chest before he recovered his Nth-metal dagger. Korra finally managed to get mostly upright and snapped a metal cable around his right wrist, yanking him off his feet and into the underside of what was left of his vehicle. The camera panned toward Savage, who was recovering rather rapidly for a man that had left a visible imprint in solid steel.

Korra hauled Mako upright, then shoved him away from her when another blast of blue energy lanced through their previous position.

Barry's head shook slowly in horror. "This is _so_ not good. They've been going at it for a good five minutes, and Savage isn't slowing down, doesn't even look like he's _sweating_."

"Guess that's _one_ byproduct of immortality."

His lips pursed hard for a second as he watched Savage tackle Mako to the ground, the combined efforts of the detective and Korra barely keeping him from thrusting a knife into his heart.

Barry turned to Cisco. "Cisco, how's that battery going?"

He frowned. "Almost done. Just need a few more minutes. You might want to suit up."

His head shook slowly as he turned back to the TV briefly before finding his ring. "Make it fast, man. I have a _really_ bad feeling about this."

…

After Mako had nearly been skewered on that foreign metal knife—which she was unable to bend—she'd airblasted Savage through the window of a nearby high-rise and resorted to chasing him up the stairwells. She'd attempted to use the building's stone and metal composition against him, but the immortal madman was as resourceful an enemy as she'd ever faced, as capable—probably more so—than Amon and his chi blockers, and this was _without_ the chi blocking aspect. When she finally managed to corner him, it was on the roof of the building, a massive, elongated rectangular stretch of concrete with scattered AC units and other means of taking cover.

She sent a shard of metal from the exit door in Savage's direction, the projectile deflected by a bladed metal fan he drew in a flash. Two more small projectiles were similarly blocked before Korra popped up a large chunk of the concrete roof and sent it flying in his direction. He deftly twisted around the flying boulder and charged toward her only to be blown back into an AC unit by an airblast. He rolled away from the unit when Korra sent another hurtling toward him, a blast of blue energy rupturing the brick masonry at her back when she ducked and rolled away.

She hid behind a row of particularly tall AC units, attempting to sneak into his blind spot as Mako tried to push his way from the wreckage of the stairwell. Savage twirled his dagger almost lazily as he paced across the rooftop.

"I once subjugated an entirely different world—one _far_ more advanced than yours. Exactly what chance to do you think you have to stop me?"

Korra smirked as she closed the distance, a quick snap of her arms encasing Savage's entire right arm in concrete and preventing him from properly gripping the knife. "There _is_ the part you conveniently left out, about a team of heroes from that Earth who _stopped_ you, army and all." She coiled a metal cable around his other arm and entire body. "Here, you're alone, so, you'll excuse me if I'm not _too_ intimidated."

He sighed and shook his head as Mako finally managed to rejoin her. "Ah, the most common weakness of the young and inexperienced."

Korra arched an eyebrow. "Oh? What's that?"

He grinned malevolently. "Hubris."

That's when she saw the slight glow coming from his trapped right arm, the drop of the Nth-metal dagger into his partially mobile left arm, and the flare of blue energy that came from the weapon as it was pointed in their direction.

Korra barely had time to throw up an earth wall before the blast overtook them both.

…

Flash HQ

The entire room was dead silent, Barry unable to believe his eyes as the camera feed from a news airship showed the rooftop where Korra and Mako had just been blasted with unquantifiable levels of energy. The dust of their shattered earth barrier obscured their bodies—if there was even anything left, but the feed clearly showed Vandal Savage breaking off his bonds one by one and stalking menacingly toward their last location, cursed knife in hand.

Barry's lips pursed and jaw tightened for a moment before he turned to Cisco. "Tell me it's done."

"It is…now." Cisco soldered the finishing touches on the retrofitted spirit battery and strode toward Barry.

"Wait," Asami interrupted concernedly, stopping them. "We have no idea what that thing's gonna do to you." She threw her hands up. "We don't even know if it'll _work_!"

"We don't have time to figure that out, Asami!" Barry exclaimed. "They're getting _killed_ out there!" He turned back to the other engineer. "Cisco, do it."

Cisco's lips pursed in concentration. "Gimme your emblem."

Barry reached down to his chest, twisting the white-and-gold emblem of his Flash suit off and handing it to him. The engineer placed the power cell into the hollow of the emblem's backside, securing it, then handed it back to Barry. He took it firmly and placed it back on, twisting it into place, then pressing in slightly to activate it. Immediately, he gasped and felt a rush of electric euphoria as the emblem's immediate surroundings started to glow blue. Asami and Cisco gaped at him.

"What's happening?" Cisco asked.

Barry was unable to answer as he breathed rapidly, feeling tension spread throughout his entire body as power thrummed through his system.

Asami's jaw dropped. "Barry…?"

He was shaking with the sheer force of energy flowing through his veins, but still had enough presence of mind to feel the familiar spark of lightning dancing in his bloodstream. He looked down at his hands and attempted to vibrate them, grinning widely when they turned into indistinguishable blurs.

"It's working," Cisco breathed in awe, staring at him with wide eyes and a proud grin.

Barry's smile slowly turned predatory as his lightning-rimmed eyes narrowed in determination and hands curled into fists.

…

A small, incoherent groan came from Korra's lips as she attempted to push herself upright, failing on the first try, but succeeding on the second attempt. A warm trickle brought one hand to the space above her right eyebrow. Her fingers came away sticky from the flow of a relatively minor gash. The rest of her, however, felt absolutely wrecked. The amount of energy and focus she'd put into that momentary barrier had saved her and Mako, but also drained her chi like nothing else, which left her vulnerable to a blunt strike to the side of her head.

She yelped and slumped back to the ground as a splitting headache started behind her eyeballs, which flickered open to see Savage smiling over her with that cursed knife. He stabbed downward as she moved one arm and sent a concrete pillar slamming into his back. He flew over her, almost to the edge of the rooftop, as she scrambled to her feet. He was on her in a second, lunging with several stabs and swipes, which she managed to deflect with some difficulty, even countering with a strong cross after a few strikes. Savage snarled and feinted with the knife, instead driving a kick into her gut, followed by another slash.

Korra tried to dodge the strike, but only managed to mitigate the damage, screaming as she felt the Nth-metal blade slice a deep gash just beneath her rib cage. Stumbling back, she pressed a palm to the wound in an attempt to stem the flow of blood, feeling more pain explode in her chest when she was kicked to her knees. Breathing heavily, she cringed and looked up at a triumphant Savage, who straightened out his trenchcoat in a gesture of superiority.

"I knew I would be met with resistance, but considering your reputation on _my_ Earth…I expected more of a fight." He grinned madly. "This…was all too easy."

Korra's eyes widened as he raised the dagger, its blade glowing with the charge of a high-power blast that would leave nothing in its wake.

 _Crack!_

Her jaw dropped as a sudden burst of thunder made Savage hesitate and turn in its direction.

 _No way…_

…

A red blur sped through the streets of Republic City, gold lightning trailing behind him as he sprinted for City Hall.

"Yyyeeeeeaaaahaha!"

Thunder cracked in the Flash's wake as his whoop filled the city's humming night air, his eyes tracing upward to see the news airship and mind rushing to extrapolate the location of the hotspot based on its position. He ran up the side of a building, feeling a mildly uncomfortable pressure in his chest as he went even faster, but chalking it up to the fact that he was pushing himself this far this fast. Savage and Korra were in sight in moments, the blue glow of the former's weapon serving as the perfect target as he leapt from a lower building and slammed into him from the side with a supersonic punch.

Savage flew straight across the roof, slamming into and caving in an AC unit some twenty feet from his last position. Barry landed in a solid crouch, surprisingly not feeling a bit of pain in the hand he used to hit the immortal with. He slowly rose to his feet, lightning dancing off his form as he noticed both Korra and Mako staring at him agape. The Flash smirked and his tightened his fists as he turned to fully face a recovering Savage.

"Heard you were lookin' for a fight."

Savage slowly pushed himself away from what was left of the AC unit. "And I heard you'd lost your abilities." He grinned. "Glad to see I was wrong."

Barry's head shook slightly. "You won't be."

Before the immortal could even think to raise his weapon, the Flash streaked toward him and rained down a relentless barrage of blows so fast, even the _speedster_ started losing track of how many times he'd hit him. Five seconds into his assault, the Nth-metal knife dropped to the ground, and Flash roared in fury and determination as Savage began to collapse to one knee.

"This is _my_ city, _my_ world! And you don't belong in it!"

Barry ran around him in blindingly fast circles, barely giving him three seconds to recover before he threw a bolt of lightning into his dead center, sending him flying back three feet and sliding to a stop. Savage actually let out a small groan of pain as he sluggishly climbed to his feet, smoke rising off his body.

The immortal smiled and raised an eyebrow tauntingly, arms splayed out to his sides. "Is that all you have, my boy?"

The Flash smirked nastily. "You don't ever want to see _all_ I have."

Barry charged toward him, snarling furiously, and geared up for a leaping cross. He never got his feet off the ground. Instead, they went out from under him when the soft blue glow on his chest sputtered out, his body rolling to a stop on the rough concrete and sparking with lightning a few times before it fizzled out completely. Breathing hard, he pushed himself halfway upright before his body left the ground due to a hard kick from Savage.

"So she was right after all," he hissed, hauling the younger man to his feet. "You _are_ powerless."

Barry's brows knitted in confusion. _She?_

His eyes widened a second later when Savage brutally laid into his face with one hand, the final blow sending him onto his back some distance away. He moaned in pain, trying to regain his footing, but the chest pressure from before had returned with a vengeance, actually painful this time. Barry pressed a hand to his chest, gasping for air and cringing in pain. When he had enough presence of mind to look back at Savage, his eyes widened again. The blue glow of his Nth-metal dagger flared up again, pointed in his direction. Barry didn't even have time to scream before a familiar blue-clad form jumped between him and the immortal tyrant.

An explosion of light blinded him briefly before his eyes adjusted to see Korra bracing herself against a rapidly decomposing metal wall (probably assembled from the remains of an AC unit).

"Run, Barry! Go!"

With a titanic effort, he pushed himself to his feet and lunged away from the blinding conflict, collapsing to the ground moments later once he got just enough distance to be safe.

…

Korra screamed in effort as she felt her energy reserves being steadily depleted. Once she ensured Barry was out of danger, she let the metal wall collapse. Smoke and concrete dust covered her position, and Savage stared into it for a moment before looking up. She'd airblasted her way into the sky and was dropping toward him like a rock—literally, in her case. Another blast of energy shattered half of her concrete shell, the other half used to smack his knife-arm away from her and open him up to a fire hook to his left jaw.

He stumbled back a step as concrete flew up to encase her hands in stony boxing gloves. Korra roared in determination as she laid into him with everything she had left, driving the madman back step by step until finally, he countered. A snap-kick to her gut had her bent over double, and an elbow to her back sent her crashing to the ground. A tackle by Mako saved her spine from being severed, but the detective was tossed off almost without effort and roundhouse-kicked in the face before he could recover.

Korra rushed in and drove a flying kick into his midsection, sending him back another couple of steps, then followed up with two rapid straights, ducking an underhanded swipe and countering with an uppercut to his lower torso. He kneed her in her gashed eyebrow, causing a small explosion of pain in her head, then swiped the back edge of his dagger toward her neck. She dodged the blow narrowly, catching his wrist when he came back for another attack. Korra barely saw his second knife in time, and caught it by the blade as a result.

Her teeth ground against each other as she felt deep divots being carved into the fingers and palm of her right hand, warm liquid spilling down her wrist and staining her armguards. They struggled against each other for a full five seconds, Korra feeling her arms starting to give as the much taller—and bigger—man used all his leverage against her. A burst of fury filled her veins as her grip around his second knife's blade tightened, tapping into the last reserves of her chi. Slowly but surely, the blade of the weapon bent backwards, and for the first time in their fight, Savage looked genuinely surprised when she snapped it off its hilt and drove it into his right wrist tip-first.

He released a yell of pain as he backhanded her with the hilt of his broken dagger and stumbled back a step, letting the hilt fall as he tried to pull the buried blade from his arm. Korra didn't let up for a second, unleashing a hook, then a cross, pulling his head into a clinch and kneeing him several times in the face. She shrieked in agony when a sharp, searing pain lanced through her left thigh, stumbling back and collapsing to one knee as she pressed both hands against her perforated leg. Korra looked up as Savage advanced again, seeing him struck with blue lightning from Mako's direction and staring in half-shock when he actually started looking fatigued.

She glanced back at her firebending friend. "Mako, hit him again!"

He obeyed, and Savage stumbled back another step, a certain amount of weakness leaking into his features and body language with every electric strike.

 _That's right_ , she thought. _He had a hard time getting up after Barry hit him with lightning._

"Again!" she roared, applying more pressure on her injury.

A yell from Mako signaled the last strike on his part, as he slumped over half-unconscious with exhaustion a moment later, breathing heavily. Korra's eyes widened in horror when a kneeling Savage let out several hard breaths, then slowly rose to his feet and resumed stalking toward her. The knife in his right hand glowed softly, getting brighter with every step. Korra's eyes flitted about for anything she might have used to her advantage, eventually locking onto a grim-faced Barry. He was outright scowling at this point, his expression halfway between pain and rage as he slammed the top of his left fist into the emblem on his chest. To her astonishment, it flickered blue a few times, then went constant for one full second.

Within that second, he took off toward them like a lightning bolt, gold energy sparking off his form as he yelled and leapt toward Savage. His right fist landed a single, solid blow on his face before he hit the ground and collapsed to his hands and knees.

Savage was still standing.

But newfound hope thrummed through Korra's veins when she saw exactly _where_ he was standing. With a final roar of determination, she lunged to her feet and outstretched both arms, a powerful, compressed blast of air slamming into him and sending him flying into a ten-story fall. The Avatar let out several heavy breaths as she pressed her left palm against her still-bleeding thigh, standing in place.

"Korra…what the hell?"

Her head snapped toward a gaping Mako. "What? He's _immortal_ , remember?"

The detective arched an eyebrow and shrugged as he groaned his way upright, then strode toward her as they both approached the edge.

"Look, he's—" Korra's eyes went wide when she saw nothing on the ground except a body-sized crater.

"Gone," Mako finished for her in a horrified whisper. "He's gone."

"Ooooh boy." Korra weaved a hand through her hair and breathed hard. "A fight for another day, I think."

Mako just grunted his agreement.

"Hey Barry, I don't know how, but you did _great_." She turned around, smile dropping from her lips when she caught sight of him. "Barry?"

…

Random gasps of choppy breath were all that Barry could manage as he stared at the concrete ground with bugged-out eyes. His entire body trembled and shook, arms buckling as he broke out in a cold sweat, the pressure in his chest reaching _agonizing_ proportions. He gasped loudly when he felt the equivalent of a sledgehammer beating against his rib cage, arms collapsing entirely as the side of his face impacted the ground.

"Barry!" Korra yelled in desperation, dashing to his side.

She rolled him over as gently as she could, eyes wide in fear as she stared down at him.

"Barry, what's happening?!"

"I can't breathe," he tried to say, but only managed to get out a short, ragged yelp when another searing pain slammed into his chest.

Korra and Mako's desperate yell of his name was the last thing he heard before blacking out.

* * *

AN: Cliffhanger! Not to worry; more to come tomorrow with the second to last chapter before I end this arc. Apologies for the _absurd_ length of this chapter. The fight with Savage took entirely too long, but I needed to characterize him as a properly badass villain. Hope you liked his introduction. I also needed to show that Korra can more than hold her own in every aspect of a fight, since she gets beat on a _lot_ in Book Four.

The next couple of chapters are going to be…long, I expect. This will probably be the longest, but no promises. Safe to say, there's going to be a _lot_ of plot and action crammed into this arc, followed by a brief but sweet period of rest. I absolutely _cannot_ wait to see what you guys think.

At any rate, please review and recommend.

And as always, _oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	44. Hunter

Hunter (n.): a person or animal that hunts a particular quarry.

2 days later

Aang Memorial Hospital, Republic City

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

A long, drawn-out groan came from the head of a hospital bed as a pair of ice-blue eyes rolled around behind a set of closed eyelids. Several sounds of excited movement reached the ears of the host as he distinguished equally distinct bodies moving toward him. A long-winded sigh came from his throat as his chest flared in a dull but insistent pain.

"I'm getting really tired of waking up in hospitals."

"Trust me," said Lin, "we're _really_ tired of taking you to them."

Barry slowly opened his eyes to look up at her and the rest of Team Flash, plus Korra and Mako. He took another couple of slow breaths as Korra gripped his right hand firmly. "What happened?"

Mako sighed. "Savage escaped. All that work, and he _still_ got away. Damned immortality."

Barry frowned. "We'll get him, eventually. Though I actually meant with me. I don't remember ever having that reaction before."

Korra exchanged a look with Asami.

Barry glanced at them. "Guys? What happened to me?"

Asami slowly turned toward him. "You had a heart attack, Bear."

His auburn eyebrows shot upward. "Excuse me?" He almost laughed before catching all of their dead-serious expressions. "B-But I'm not even twenty years old yet!"

"We know," Lin said, tightening her grip on his shoulder. "Sato, Cisco, explain."

Cisco stepped forward first. "Okay…the chemistry is a little complicated for just coming out of a two-day coma, so I'm gonna sum things up. The Reverse-Flash lost the ability to metabolize and store the spirit energy half of the Speedforce when he time-jumped. That's why he used those power cells to such great effect."

"Okay? What about me?"

Asami frowned. "You lost _both_ halves of the Speedforce, Bear. Spirit energy _and_ bioelectricity. The difference between you and Thawne…is that spirit energy isn't necessary for human life."

"Bioelectricity is," Barry finished, eyes widening slightly.

She nodded. "So, when you ran out of power the first time, you were running low on bioelectricity. That's why you were so weak."

"And the second time?"

"You were just about out," Cisco answered.

Barry sighed hard, staring at the ceiling. "So, all I need is an electrical boost, and I'll be good to go."

"No, Barry," Korra replied. "It gets worse."

He shot her a look.

"Korra stabilized you after you passed out," Lin explained. "Long enough to get you here, at least."

"The worst part wasn't that you ran out of bioelectricity," Asami said. "Your blood ran out of oxygen."

Barry's eyebrows skyrocketed.

"Speedsters consume an _enormous_ amount of oxygen when they run. The more you ran, the more you consumed, and your body wasn't able to replace what you lost quickly enough. Your heart was essentially starved for oxygen, hence the heart attack."

His head shook slowly. "I've never had that problem before."

"That's because your powers were artificial," Cisco explained. "Between the blood samples we've taken since you became the Flash and the Reverse-Flash's notes, we basically determined that the bioelectric half of the Speedforce is the half that primarily governs the regenerative aspects of your powers."

"Which makes the spirit energy half the one that governs speed."

"Exactly."

"Hence why Thawne was always so much faster than me."

"Yes."

"So," Asami said, "essentially, using that power cell gave you the speed without any of the regenerative abilities necessary to maintain it."

Barry sighed hard, returning to staring at the ceiling. "What does this mean for me long-term?"

"Long-term? Nothing. You've been on a constant supply of O2 for the past forty-eight hours, so your body's already replenished what you lost."

"But?"

Korra's lips pursed. "If you keep using those batteries to unnaturally power your speed…the effects on your heart and lungs will build up."

"You'll die," Lin finished grimly.

Silence hung in the room for a full minute as Barry chewed over that particular revelation, a slow nod coming at the minute's end. "Can Korra and I get a minute?"

Asami smiled. "Of course."

"We'll be right outside," Lin added, opening the door for the others.

He nodded and smiled at her and the others, the expression dropping from his face as soon as they were gone. Barry looked up at Korra, shifting to one side and gently patting the empty space beside him. Korra frowned and climbed in next to him, curling her arm around his neck and pressing her lips against his temple. They laid there in silence for a while before Barry felt her smile a little against the side of his head.

He took a breath. "What?"

She stroked his hair for a moment. "It only took three years."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "For what?"

Korra smiled and kissed his cheek. "For me to get to play nurse."

Unbidden but welcome, laughter bubbled up in his chest, and he and Korra let go completely until his chest throbbed with pain, cutting it off into rough coughs. She gently rubbed his torso, planting another kiss on his jaw. Their smiles gradually faded as Barry stared off into space, the fingers running through his hair sending soothing sensations through his scalp.

"We're gonna figure this out, Bear. I promise. Whatever happens, we'll figure this out together."

He smiled a little and snuggled into her side. "I love you."

Korra smiled back and tucked his head under her chin. "I know."

Barry snorted and closed his eyes. "Good night, Korra."

"Good night, Barry."

…

Next day

Sato Estate

"Did any of you even sleep?"

The five heads of five mildly exhausted people snapped toward the speaker, all rising to their feet when they saw him actually standing.

"Barry, you shouldn't be walking around—"

"I'm fine, Mom," he replied with a dismissive wave. "Docs said I could start moving again as soon as the chest pain calmed down. At this point, I can barely feel it. Guess the damage wasn't too bad to begin with."

They all gave a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank Raava," Korra muttered as she hugged him briefly.

Barry smiled and gently disengaged from her. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" asked Mako.

"First off, for worrying all of you so much."

"Forgivable, considering we were getting our tails kicked."

Barry smirked, then let his smile peter out. "And I'm sorry…because I'm not staying."

The study filled with tension.

"Excuse me?"

"Where do you think you're going?"

"We just got you back!"

Barry held both hands up to quiet them. "I'm going back to the beginning. Taking the other Barry's advice."

Asami frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

His lips pursed tightly as he hesitated. "I'm gonna find the only other person who might know how to get my speed back. The only other person who's been through what I have."

Mako's eyes widened in horror. "Wait…you don't mean—"

"Thawne. I'm going to see Thawne."

A stunned silence fell over the room just moments before Lin started steaming.

"You're joking, right? You _are_ joking."

"I have to agree with the chief," Mako added. "That's crazy."

"Thawne wants you _dead_ , remember?" Korra asked.

"Yeah," Barry replied somewhat agitatedly, "trust me, no one knows that better than me. But at this point, I'm all out of options. I _need_ my speed back, and he's the only one who might know how to help me." He sighed hard, hands stuffed into his pockets. "Look, you don't have to like my decision, or agree with it. But this is my choice, to do what I believe is necessary, and you _do_ have to respect it. I _cannot_ be without my speed. Not now." He cast a fleeting glance at Korra. "I'm sorry."

He left the room within seconds, a pregnant silence greeting his absence.

…

"What the hell?" Mako asked.

"My sentiments exactly," Lin replied.

Korra frowned deeply, wondering at Barry's previous glance until several memories flashed through her head.

 _He smiled a little and snuggled into her side. "I love you."_

 _Korra smiled back and tucked his head under her chin. "I know."_

 _"—first girlfriend he has, and she ends up being the_ _Avatar_ _? That's…wow, with someone like him, always eager to please…that's gotta be one hell of a pressure."_

Korra's cerulean eyes widened as her lips parted. "Oh no."

"What?" Asami asked.

Her lips pursed. "Just…give me a minute with him. I think I know what's going on."

Korra found Barry in his room, packing clothes into a duffel bag with a focused expression etched into his features.

She knocked on the doorframe twice. "Can I come in?"

He glanced at her and shrugged.

Korra frowned deeply, walking up next to him and taking his hand before he could reach for something else. "Barry…there's something I need to tell you." Her lips pursed as he turned to face her. "Something…I _should've_ told you after you saved me at Zaofu…probably even _before_ that, actually."

He frowned in confusion. "Okay?"

Korra looked down, closing her eyes briefly.

 _Okay, Korra. Now or never._

Her eyes opened, and she stared up at him with an intense gaze. "I love you."

He stared back at her for a moment before shrugging. "I know," he replied nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

She sighed and shook her head. "No, Barry." Korra cupped his head in her hands and stared into his eyes. "I love _you_. Not the Flash."

Something shifted in his features, a flash of realization and—dare she say—playfulness? And then he did something she _absolutely_ hadn't expected.

He laughed. Just a small chuckle, really, but still.

Barry laughed and cupped his hands around hers. "I _know_."

Korra blinked rapidly. "You do?"

Barry smiled widely and nodded. "I think…deep down, a part of me _always_ knew. Even after I came back, when I thought you hated me." He pressed his forehead to hers. "Because I saw it, Korra. I saw it two years ago, right before I ran into that portal. It was right there in your eyes, clear as day." He snorted a laugh. "Took me a while to fully realize it, but I always knew. And as for loving _me_ and not the Flash, well…" Another chuckle. "You set _that_ ghost to rest even _before_ that."

Her brows furrowed. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really. After I went all cray-cray jealous on Mako, you told me that I never had to earn my place in our relationship—" he shrugged, "—and I believed you." He laid a hand on her cheek, the backs of his fingers stroking her skin. "I know a lot's changed between us since then, but…" his head shook, "I don't think that's part of it."

"It isn't," Korra confirmed with a shake of her head.

He grinned. "Good." Barry gently pulled away and resumed packing.

"So…this whole…mad dash for your speed."

Barry looked back at her.

Her head shook slightly. "It's not about us?"

His lips pursed. "No. It isn't." He straightened up and faced her. "It's about _more_ than us."

Her head cocked in confusion.

He sighed. "Korra, my life isn't my own anymore. It hasn't been since I became the Flash, and I think the same could be said for you ever since you realized what being the Avatar really meant."

"But…Barry, you can still do good, with or without your speed." She smiled and took his hands. "You were _always_ a hero."

Barry smiled back and nodded slowly. "I appreciate that, but these new threats... Savage? Kuvira?" His head shook. "They're not gonna give to good intentions. To face and defeat menaces like them takes more than just heart. You know, when I was captured, Kuvira and I had a little talk, and though I disagree with her on _basically_ everything, there was one thing she got right. If you want to make lasting change in this world, you need the power to back it up." He nodded to her. "You have that power as the Avatar. I had that power as the Flash, and it's a power I need to reclaim."

"But—"

"Korra," he pleaded, taking her face in his hands, "Kuvira needs to be stopped, at all costs. And to do that is going to take people like you, and Lin. People like Vibe and Asami and Firestorm and the Green Arrow, people who are willing and able to do…the _impossible_." He shrugged and slowly shook his head. "And that's not me. Not now. Not without my speed. The cold, hard truth is that right now, this world doesn't need Barry Allen, CSI and boyfriend. It needs the Flash." Another shrug. "I mean, do you really think I _want_ to go see Thawne?"

She smiled a little at his incredulous tone.

He smiled back. "Trust me, Korra, if we had time…I would _totally_ wait to find another way to get my speed back. But right now, time isn't a luxury we have. I don't know if it's Savage, or losing my speed, or something else, but it's like something changed in the air. Something _really_ bad is coming. I can _feel_ it. And we _all_ need to be ready, no matter what." He gripped her shoulders tightly, eyes down. "If…I don't do this, get my speed back, and something happens to you, or Lin, or Asami, and I could've _done_ something? Korra, I'll never forgive myself."

They remained silent a while until Korra sighed.

"I know," she said finally. "I understand. I don't approve, and I know for a _fact_ that Lin sure as hell doesn't."

He snorted and muttered, "So what else is new?"

Korra smirked. "But I understand."

Barry smiled and cupped the back of her head. "Good."

He pulled her in close and pressed their lips together, the action igniting a small but rapidly growing fire in Korra's gut as it slowly but surely intensified. At once, all the pent-up stress and withheld affection of the last months rose to the fore—for both of them, if Barry's sudden burst of passion was any indication. Before long, Korra's arms were linked around his head, trapping him in place. A small mewl of surprise and enjoyment came from his throat, the two staying locked there until Barry somehow managed to push her back, gasping for air. His ice-blue irises were virtually invisible in dual seas of dilated pupils.

"Uh…so… _that_ happened."

Korra grinned wolfishly. Had she just attempted to make out with her boyfriend like a hormonal teenager? Yes she had. Did she regret it? Not a bit. Her fingers tickled the back of his neck teasingly, his breathing growing more rapid by the second until he coughed hard and forced himself to disengage from her. The older girl crossed her arms and kept smirking as he busied himself with finishing his preparations, face red as a beet. Her smile slowly faded as he zipped up the last couple of pockets.

"Barry."

He glanced at her with a small hum, sharpening at her frowning expression.

"I know why you have to do this. It's just…Thawne. He's been trying to kill you all your life. Whatever he tells you…" Her lips pursed. "Just be careful, okay?"

Barry smiled and nodded. "Of course." He straightened up and grinned as he slung the duffel over his shoulder. "We gotta pick up where we left off, after all."

Korra chuckled and grinned back, pulling him into one last kiss before backing away and looping one arm around his back. "I love you," she said softly.

"I know."

"I know you know. I…just like saying it."

He smiled. "Well, I can't really say no to that, now can I?"

The couple entered the study moments later, stopping short when they found all eyes on them with different expressions attached.

Asami was the first to speak. "We may not agree, Bear…but we're behind you, all the way." She stood up and strode toward him. "To that end, I just called and told Hal to get a biplane ready to carry you to the South Pole."

Barry gaped. "You didn't have to—"

"Yes I did, and you can't tell me otherwise."

He disengaged from Korra and hugged his sister. "Thank you."

She smiled and pulled away. "What else is family for? Oh—" she stepped back and reached for a large compartment in a nearby desk, "—and I'd like you to take these with you. You know, just in case."

Barry gaped as she handed him her electric kali sticks. "But—these are yours."

"They're _ours_ , Bear." She clapped him on the shoulder. "And something tells me you're going to need them a bit more than I will."

He grinned and gripped them in one hand, the other going around her in a one-armed hug. "Thanks, 'Sami."

They stayed embraced for a second before breaking apart.

"You better get going," Lin said. "I don't know Jordan very well, but I _do_ know he hates to be kept waiting, and with your disposition toward being late—"

Barry held up a hand. "Yeah, I got it."

"I'll drive you," Asami volunteered.

"Thanks, sis." He looked back at Korra with a smile. "See you soon, 'kay?"

Korra just nodded and waved, watching as he and Asami walked out the door. A long-winded sigh came from her as she leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed and a frown on her face. She turned to Mako and Lin suddenly.

"What's the word on Vandal Savage?"

Mako frowned deeply. "He's gone. According to the people we sent out to hunt him, he jumped the northern border two days ago, went east into the Earth Empire." His head shook. "He's gone."

Korra gaped. "And we're just gonna leave it at that? He's an immortal tyrant with a penchant for world domination. We can't just let him go. _Especially_ not into Kuvira's territory."

"I happen to agree with you," Lin said, standing, "but he's beyond our jurisdiction. And even if he weren't, our last foray into Earth Empire territory didn't go so well."

She frowned. "Because Barry went in alone. We don't have to."

"Yes, let's just make it easier for Kuvira's thugs to spot us. That's a _great_ plan."

Korra groaned and rubbed her tired eyes. "You didn't protest this much when _Barry_ went off."

"And he paid for it," she snapped. "I let someone I care about run off half-assed without so much as a word of protest." Her arms crossed. "Not a mistake I'm keen to repeat." And with that, she left the room.

Korra exchanged a look with Mako and Cisco. "We can't just let Savage run free on our Earth. There's no _telling_ how much damage he could do."

"Maybe not," Mako said, "but the chief's right. We don't have the manpower for an excursion like that, or the intel." He shrugged and stood, making for the exit as well. "We're just gonna have to wait and see."

And then there were two.

Korra turned to Cisco, who threw his hands up.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm already in hot water with the chief. Don't need another reason for her to throw me in the slammer."

The Avatar rolled her eyes in annoyance, then went off in a huff, aimlessly wandering the estate's grounds until a thought occurred to her. Minutes later, she was in the Cortex, looking through a list of numbers until she found one with a particular name attached. It was dialed a moment later.

"Hey, Oliver? It's Korra." She took a breath and pursed her lips. "I need a favor."

…

2 days later

Ba Sing Se, Lower Ring

"Avatar Korra…welcome to Ba Sing Se."

Korra smiled and grabbed the green-gloved hand outstretched to her, gladly stepping from the container she'd been crammed into for the last twelve hours.

"Thanks, Ollie." A frown creased her features. "Gotta say, I'm not particularly happy about being back here."

Oliver snorted. "You? I have to _live_ here."

Korra huffed. "Right." Her brows furrowed as she nodded toward another tall figure. "And who's this?"

"This—is the newest addition to the team." Oliver waved at him. "Korra…meet Arsenal."

The Avatar extended her hand to the red-suited and hooded figure standing just across from her, noting a red bow in his left hand. He shook it firmly, with tight fingers.

She arched an eyebrow. "Quite a grip you got there."

"Arsenal is still…a little rough around the edges," Oliver explained. "But he's as tough as they come."

The man (more of a boy, really, based on what little Korra could see of his features) raised a hand. "I _am_ standing right here, you know."

Korra snickered at Ollie's embarrassed smile, features sharpening as she got back to business. "So…where is he?"

The Green Arrow also sharpened up, ushering Korra toward a side alley as she pulled a green cloak over her head to hide her clothes.

"Last I heard, Savage was hiding out in a small building in the Upper Ring. Too risky to smuggle you there directly, what with all the soldiers, but now that it's just after nightfall, we should be able to sneak in."

Korra nodded and focused as they all went silent, alternating alley-jumping and rooftop traversing equally in their bid to avoid the guards. They managed to reach the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se within minutes, without incident, and approached Savage's last known location unhindered in record time. Oliver held a hand up to stop his teammates as he peeked around the corner of a building, frowning.

"I don't like this," he whispered.

Arrow glanced back at them, then waved them forward, sticking to the shadows as his teammates did the same. Halfway to the target building, the entire crossroads lit up like the northern sky at solstice, both Arsenal and Green Arrow drawing back their bows in alarm. Korra also assumed a ready stance, and for good reason, since several shadowy figures landed on the roofs all around them. Korra recognized them as agents of the Dai Li when her eyes adjusted enough to see a little better.

"Avatar Korra," drawled an irritatingly familiar voice. "And the Green Arrow."

Korra turned her glaring vision toward one rooftop as Kuvira stepped out from the glare of several floodlights.

"Two thorns in one night. That has to be a record, doesn't it?"

"What do you want, Kuvira?" Oliver asked in his deeper "Arrow" tone.

She shifted her focus to the Emerald Archer. "What I've _always_ wanted. World peace and order, though not _necessarily_ in that order." Kuvira started pacing. "What I want with you _specifically_ is to get you off the streets." She stopped moving. "Permanently."

Arsenal drew his arrow back further. "Not gonna happen," he growled.

"Easy," Oliver warned.

Korra dropped her arms. "Kuvira—"

"And _you_ —I told you not to interfere with the Earth Empire again." Kuvira's eyes flashed furiously. "Apparently, I wasn't clear enough before."

"I'm not _here_ for you," Korra protested.

Kuvira blinked. "I'm listening."

The Avatar took a deep breath. "I have reason to believe that there's an interdimensional criminal hiding out in Ba Sing Se. A mass murderer named Vandal Savage. He's already killed four people on our Earth that we know of, and is likely to kill more if he isn't apprehended." She waved at Oliver and Arsenal. "I enlisted their help when I found out he fled into the Earth Empire, and they tracked him here. Please…just let us take him in, and we'll be out of your hair."

Kuvira stared at her for a few moments, expression unreadable. "I wish that were true. But the fact is, I already know that whatever assurances you give me will only be temporary. You 'heroes' are stubborn that way. I give you free reign, and you become tomorrow's problem, or the day after that." Her head shook. "I simply won't allow that."

Korra's eyes widened. "But Savage—"

"If Vandal Savage is here—if he even _exists_ , _we_ will find him and _we_ will punish him accordingly. As for you…back away _now_ , and I'll let you go free. This time."

Korra glanced at Green Arrow and Arsenal. "And them?"

Kuvira arched an eyebrow. "They're vigilantes. Criminals, perhaps not as severely so as someone like Vandal Savage, but criminals nonetheless."

Korra's stance widened as her fists clenched. "I'm not leaving without my friends."

The other woman remained silent for a moment. "Then I'm afraid you won't be leaving at all." She walked away and motioned to the Dai Li. "Take them."

The two Dai Li agents formerly flanking Kuvira immediately snapped into action as Green Arrow and Arsenal let fly. Two carbon polymer arrows sank into hastily formed stone tile shields as several more agents leapt from nearby rooftops, their cone-hats bending light from the floodlamps as several rock gloves started flying in the intruders' direction. Korra corkscrewed over the first salvo of earth attacks, countering with a fire blast to the chest of one and a metal cable grab to the arm of another. She yanked him into his partner, then bent backwards to avoid a thin rock projectile flung at her torso.

A backwards handspring allowed her to dodge two more earthbending strikes, the Avatar countering with a few of her own as she felt someone make contact with her back. She nearly pummeled the other figure before recognizing him as Arsenal and shoving him out of the way of an incoming boulder.

"Down!" she yelled, punching straight through the earth projectile and shattering it into dust.

"Thanks," Arsenal said, letting loose an arrow into the agent who'd attacked them.

"Where's Arrow?"

"I dunno." Arsenal paused to roll toward and stab another agent in the leg, then slam one arm of his bow into his head. "We got separated!"

Korra frowned as she backpedaled away from two more earthbenders. _Great_.

An earthbending maneuver sent bricks from an adjacent building smacking into the heads of two agents simultaneously, the projectiles having come from their blind spots. A confident smirk rose to her features as she trounced one soldier after the next rather easily, pummeling them with air, fire, and earth without once breaking stride until—

"Korra, help!"

Her vision snapped to Arsenal, whose hands had been encased in rock gloves and were being used to drag him away. In the middle of dashing toward him, she yelped at a sharp pain piercing her right shoulder and stumbled almost immediately. Korra collapsed to all fours, attempting to crawl toward her hooded comrade, but slowly giving way to the anesthetic pumping into her system. It was seconds before she passed out entirely.

…

Next day

Royal Palace, Ba Sing Se

A low groan came from Korra's lips as she slowly shook herself conscious, feeling her shins drag against coarse stones through the fabric of her pants. A few drowsy blinks later, and she forced herself to wake up, vision sharpening rapidly and permitting her to see a darkened hallway—probably underground—that she was being dragged down. Moments later, she was tossed into a room, the door locked behind her, and left in almost total darkness, barely a little weak sunlight drifting through the barred window.

"You're awake."

Her head snapped toward the darkness.

Slowly, Oliver's masked and hooded features came into view. "About time."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "They let you keep the—" She tried to motion at her eyes, but found both her hands contained in rigid cylindrical metal restraints. Her legs, too.

"Yeah. Didn't seem to care much about our identities at the time."

Korra blinked and groaned as she awkwardly managed to push herself into a seated position. "Arsenal here too?"

Oliver sighed and nodded. "Yeah, he's here." He nodded toward another dark corner.

Korra could just barely see the outline of his uniform as her eyes slowly adjusted to the low light.

"Just moping."

"I'm not moping," he protested. "Just…thinking."

"Don't think _too_ much," Oliver countered. "You'll torture yourself with worst-case scenarios."

"Is there a best-case scenario that doesn't end up with us in prison for the rest of our lives?"

"I don't think they're planning on doing that," Korra said. "If they were, they'd have unmasked you and taken your uniforms."

Arsenal shot her a look. "Why does that not make me feel better?"

She took a deep breath. "Come to think of it, I'm starting to think the same."

"All right," Ollie interrupted. "Everyone just—chill, okay? I've been in tighter spots and gotten out okay. We'll be _fine_."

Arsenal sighed hard. " _Really_ hope you're right."

Not two seconds after he said this, movement was heard in the hallway, and two Dai Li agents were seen through a slit in the door, which opened once they came to a stop.

"On your feet, prisoners. The commander wants you present in the throne room."

Arsenal snorted. "Call it like it is, will ya? She's the _empress_ , not a commander."

"Shut up!"

"Arsenal…don't antagonize them," Oliver hissed as they were both hoisted upright.

"Um," Korra interrupted, "a little help here?"

She held up her chained hands as a reference. One of the agents spared her a look, then handed Arsenal off to the agent already escorting Oliver. He attached a rock glove to the chain linking her hand restraints, levitating it and her in the process as they exited the cell and proceeded back down the hallway. Korra was already somewhat familiar with the layout of this place since last time, so she knew there was a good distance yet before the throne room. Plenty of time to stage an escape. All hopes of _that_ plan working went out the window the moment they rounded the first corner.

Dai Li upon metalbenders upon nonbenders with incredibly sharp weapons lined the halls of their little procession, all standing on either side at attention. The very sight set her teeth on edge and put a not-so-comforting feeling into her gut.

 _All this attention for a pair of prisoners? Something's not right._

When they finally reached the throne room, that feeling in Korra's gut went on overdrive. Between the various soldiers milling about and the camera crews setting up on either end of the room, she just _knew_ something bad was about to go down. Taking a second glance at those cameras, a mental picture of a caged Barry flashed through her vision. So Kuvira was going to make a spectacle of them, then send them back to their cells. Not ideal, but also not as bad as it could've been. A sigh of relief came from her throat as she was carried to a place next to the throne, the links of her leg restraints locking into a mechanism on the floor that had apparently been built for the express purpose.

Korra exchanged a look with Oliver when he and Arsenal were dragged to the other side of the throne and made to stand in line. They looked about as confused as her.

"And you're sure the signal booster will reach further this time?"

Korra's head snapped up. That was _Kuvira's_ voice.

"My scientists reverse-engineered the appropriate tech from Future Industries. It'll work."

 _That_ voice was new, and belonged to a black-haired man with piercing blue eyes and a business suit. He cast a brief glance at Korra, then shifted his vision to the Green Arrow, who was actively glaring back at him. Korra's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

 _Wonder what_ that's _about?_

She was snapped from her thoughts by an approaching Kuvira, who marched straight toward the throne with a hint of a strut to her step.

"So, what's this all about, _commander_?"

Kuvira arched an eyebrow. "What is _anything_ I've done ever been about?" She turned to look out through the main door and the door beyond, both of which were opened to let in a bit of natural light. "Sending a message, of course." She nodded to one of the cameramen and seated herself.

"Ready to roll…in five, four, three, two—"

Kuvira waited the allotted time, then spoke. "People of the world. The supreme commander of the Earth Empire comes to you today with yet another message for those of you who _still_ refuse to accept reality." Her features hardened. "Time and again, I have proven my resolve, and that of my fellow citizens, to preserve and protect the safety and order of this great nation. And still, after three _years_ of labor, rebellion is _still_ seen as a viable option." Her piercing green eyes narrowed. "I am here to tell you that this—is _not_ the case."

Kuvira motioned to her right as the cameraman shifted the angle to include Korra. "On my right sits the Avatar, once the guardian of all the world, now brought to kneel at our feet. A living and constant testament to the power of our nation." She waved left. "And on my left stand two of the Earth Empire's most tenacious and dangerous criminals. Some consider them heroes. They are not. They are anarchists, vigilantes who believe themselves above the law, and therefore undermine the very fabric of law and order I have striven to establish."

"Order, my ass!" Arsenal screamed, lunging from his place. "This is about _control_!"

"Perhaps it is," Kuvira conceded. "But tell me, would you prefer the chaos left in the wake of the Red Lotus uprising? Without some outside force to bring order, chaos _will_ ensue. It is simply the nature of the universe. And no one can deny this. Not even you."

Arsenal kept snarling at her, but said nothing.

Kuvira's gaze shifted back to the camera. "To this end, these two fugitives will serve as a terminal example…of what happens to those who threaten the forces of peace and order in this world."

Korra blinked twice, jaw dropping. "Terminal?"

"Captain…array the prisoners."

" _Terminal_?" Korra repeated. "Kuvira, what _is_ this?!"

The dictator stood and arched an eyebrow at her. "Isn't it obvious? This…my dear Avatar…is an execution."

Korra's eyes went wide in horror, flitting between her and them and back. "You—you can't do this!"

"I can. And I will."

She lunged as far upright as she could get, shackled as she was. "No! This isn't right! They've done _nothing_ to deserve death!"

"These two have been fugitives from the police and the military for _quite_ some time, and last night alone, they very nearly killed two of my men. Men who were just following orders."

Kuvira looked toward the cameramen and slashed a hand across her throat as they cut the audio and focused on the rapid building of a set of earth gallows.

" _Nearly_ doesn't mean _dead_! This is just an _excuse_ to eliminate someone who doesn't agree with you!"

"No!" Kuvira roared from her place, looking genuinely affronted. "This is _deterrence_!"

Korra blinked slowly, voice fading to barely above a whisper. "Deterrence?"

"Yes, Avatar. Deterrence. Something to show the world that rebellion in any form will _not_ be tolerated."

"So you're just willing to sacrifice two good men, people who are trying to do the right thing, because it's _expedient_?"

"No. Because it's necessary." Kuvira approached Korra, getting right up in her face. "If I have to kill two, or ten, or _twenty_ good men to spare the thousands of men, women, and children who'll die if they oppose me, then _so_ be it. I'll do it, without hesitation." She stepped away, turning toward the execution block. "And the world will be better for it."

Korra snarled as her eyes stung with unshed tears. "Keep telling yourself that," she spat. "Maybe one day you'll believe it."

Kuvira just re-mounted the throne and cast her a brief glance. "I already do." She motioned to the camera crews, who turned the audio back on. "Executioners, line up the prisoners!"

Two soldiers pushed Oliver and Arsenal toward the gallows, their bound wrists hung on a set of parallel hooks as they were stood upright.

"You're gonna burn in hell for this, bitch!" Arsenal snarled.

"The last defiant words of a seditious wretch," she replied with a note of false pity.

Kuvira motioned to another pair of metalbending soldiers.

"Ready."

The soldiers levitated razor-sharp metal discs and angled them horizontally toward the vigilante partners.

Korra looked toward her in a last desperate plea. "Kuvira, please, stop this!"

Kuvira ignored her and raised her right arm. "Aim."

They lifted the discs to neck level, arms cocked back in readiness.

The Avatar looked back toward her friends, gaze locking with Oliver's as she mouthed, "I'm sorry."

He just smiled sadly and gave her a small nod, then turned to face his executioner with a defiant glare.

"Fire."

Kuvira's arm fell.

The metalbenders thrust their arms forward.

Korra screamed.

The open doors let in a draft.

And just like that, the entire room fell into silence.

* * *

AN: Cliffhangers upon cliffhangers. Even I'll admit, this arc is just cruel. Not to worry, just one day before you get the next chapter, which will wrap all of this up nicely.

Next chapter will focus entirely on Barry. You'll get the aftermath of his trip to the South Pole, the origins of this Earth's Reverse-Flash, and other fun Speedforce tidbits that took me forever to come up with. For those of you who feel like this story's mood has been moving steadily downhill, have faith. Just have faith.

And with that, I'm out.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	45. The Fastest Man Alive

Fastest (adj.): superlative of fast; the penultimate definition of speed.

2 days earlier

Secret White Lotus prison, South Pole

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"Do what you have to. I'll be here when you want to head back."

Barry nodded to the speaker, a nonbending White Lotus guard. "Thanks, Hunter."

He nodded back silently, the guards just inside an ice-capped alcove saluting him before parting to permit him inside the cave-like building. It hadn't taken nearly as much time to reach Thawne's cell the last time Barry was here, but he'd been a _lot_ faster then. Something he needed to regain _immediately_. To that end, he proceeded further into the prison, passing one squad of uniformed guards after the next, pulling at the fur-lined collar of the coat Korra's mother had lent him. A bit of cold metal touched his neck, and he glanced down at the Flash ring sitting on his finger, frowning a little.

Barry refocused on the task at hand, making his way down two flights of stairs and through a set of double-barred doors before finally coming to a stop in front of a large glass case not unlike the one he'd been stuck in just a week ago. A seemingly permanent frown etched itself into his features as the man on the other side kept staring at a chess game in progress, his blue eyes slowly drifting up to the former speedster. Genuine surprise shone in his features for just a flicker of a second, but enough for Barry to notice.

"Well," Thawne said finally, knitting his fingers, "this was unexpected."

Barry stayed silent for a moment. "You don't have to tell me. I surprised _myself_ when I heard this idea coming out of my own mouth."

The older man leaned back in his wheelchair, snatching up the black king and twirling it in his fingers. "What idea? Coming to talk?"

He nodded and grabbed a nearby chair, sitting down slowly. "For a whole lot of reasons. But, no matter my personal feelings, the situation calls for it."

Thawne shot him a confused look. "What situation?"

Barry's lips pursed as he faced his old enemy full-on. "When you came back the second time, to that night, and you lost your speed…" he shrugged, "how'd you get it back?"

Thawne's confusion intensified. "I don't understand. Why do you suddenly care about my past?" His features shifted. "Unless…"

Barry frowned and sighed. "I lost my speed."

Silence reigned over the room for several seconds as Barry looked down and away, letting out a long, exasperated breath.

"That night won't help you."

Barry's head snapped up to the caged speedster. "What?"

Thawne sighed hard and rubbed his eyes, then looked up at Barry through the glass. "That night, nine years ago…it won't help you get your speed back."

Barry's head tilted slightly. "And why not?"

"Because I may have depleted the Speedforce in my system, but at least _I_ still have it. Something tells me you didn't lose your speed on the way to come to me, which means you've spent at _least_ twenty-four hours without it."

"It's been about a week."

His eyes slid closed as he exhaled hard, rubbing a hand over his face.

Barry's eyebrows furrowed. "I would've thought you'd be _happier_ about this."

"Yes, well, that was before—" He cut off abruptly, purposely tapping the arms of his wheelchair.

"I don't understand."

"Of course not. Even now, there are things about my plan that you still have no inkling of." He took a long breath. "I'll help you get your speed back."

Barry gaped at him. " _Why_?"

Thawne's eyes rolled. "Because…I'm indefinitely stuck in this cell, _in_ this chair, and you, Barry, are not. Did you think I didn't anticipate the incredible damage I could do to the timeline by eradicating you from history? This…this was my plan all along. After I'd eliminated you, _I_ would have gone back to pivotal events in this era of history and intervened in your place. No one would ever know I was there, but the actions you took, the lives you shifted… _I_ would have been there to affect those changes instead of you."

Barry's eyes widened in realization. "So now that you no longer have your legs, and _I've_ lost my speed—"

"Yes. Everything is in jeopardy now."

He frowned and looked down, glancing back up to Thawne. "Why do you care so much, about history remaining the same, or, as same as it could be without the Flash?"

Thawne smiled sardonically. "Because, contrary to popular belief, I'm not _inherently_ evil." He shrugged. "And because except for you, I just so happen to _like_ this part of history."

Barry stared at a wall for a while, then turned back toward Thawne. "So, how do we do this?"

"Well, _we_ aren't going to be doing anything, you will. But first…you need to know the context of what I'm about to tell you."

"What context?"

Thawne smirked. "The future. _My_ future. My time. My…old self. Eobard Thawne…before he became Reverse-Flash."

Barry snorted. "I don't have time for a story, Thawne."

" _Make_ time. Nothing I'm about to tell you is anything less than critical to your success."

The younger man rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

"Thank you." Thawne cleared his throat. "In the time I come from, mankind has not only far transcended the bounds of what you consider modern science, but the stars as well. Me? I was still focused here on Earth. More specifically…on the Speedforce. You see, our planet was running out of both energy and natural resources, and the only way to stem the tide of decay was to ship most of our population off-world. But that took time, money, and more power than we could spare. As a result, we had to outsource our transport needs to…other entities."

" _Other_ entities?"

"Yes," Thawne replied with a smirk. "Best you don't know _too_ much. Got a few years before first contact yet."

Barry arched an eyebrow and was about to ask about "first contact," but Thawne cut him off.

"My colleagues thought I was crazy when I proposed the construction of a single massive vessel instead of an entire fleet, claiming that such a ship would take entirely too much material and energy to _construct_ , much less operate on a long-distance voyage. But, unlike the skeptics that opposed my research, I considered the thought of a single, unlimited power source not only possible, but realistic. Why? Because of you. You, and the research of another man in this time: Doctor Harrison Wells."

Barry's eyes widened.

"You see, he was the first to really begin _studying_ the Speedforce. Its origins, its applications, its nature—all of that traced back to Wells and his research. One thing that had always stuck with me was the unlimited nature of the Speedforce. It was a potentially _infinite_ source of power, one that if harnessed, could be mankind's salvation. So, I got to work. Dug up everything I could get my hands on legally, as well as a few more… _questionable_ items. My knowledge of the Speedforce became _so_ extensive, that some of my students actually started calling me 'Professor Zoom.'"

Thawne smirked. "An ostentatious moniker, but one I began to see the value in as my research progressed. _Months_ I worked on it. My colleagues all thought it was folly. Well-meaning and benign, but foolish nonetheless. Turned out it was anything but benign. A few months into my research, I was working in a lab at Republic City University, performing a particularly important experiment when…boom. Something went wrong, and an explosion started a fire that consumed much of my lab and more than a few people trapped inside. I was nearly counted among them, but by some miracle, I survived, with _heavy_ burns all over my body. When I came to several days later, I found a few things out. One: that most of my lab staff had been killed in the fire. Two: that the university had permanently shut down and seized all of my Speedforce research." He sighed. "And three…I would never have my natural features again.

"Third-degree burns covered ninety percent of my body. Even with sixth-century tech and medicine, the doctors told me I was lucky to be alive. They offered to perform reconstructive surgery on me, restore my old face, but…" he shrugged and shook his head slowly, "with the deaths of my staff and the seizure of my research…that person, that part of me…was gone."

"That's why you look like Harrison Wells," Barry said.

He nodded slowly, smirking. "Next to the Flash…Doctor Wells was my greatest hero, both because of their connection to the Speedforce."

Barry blinked hard. "Wait… _what_? Me…your hero? You _hate_ me."

Thawne smiled bitterly. "Yes, well…our heroes aren't always what they're cracked up to be. One trip to the past, one attempt to speak with you, to _finally_ meet my hero, and what do I find except a detailed record of the exploits of Eobard Thawne…AKA the Reverse-Flash."

Barry's eyes widened as he stared at him.

"I discovered that after all my attempts at scientific heroism, my destiny was to become your _greatest_ enemy, the reverse of everything of everything you are, were, and ever _will_ be." He leaned back in his seat. "But that didn't come until much later. The situation on Earth was growing worse by the day, and I couldn't very well sit around and watch it happen. See, desperation is quite the motivator when it needs to be. I broke into the records hall where they kept my research, stole both them and a few necessary pieces of machinery, and then I made for the nearest spirit portal."

"Spirit portal?"

"Yes. Didn't you ever wonder why you got your powers the night of Harmonic Convergence? Or why spirit energy is such a vital component to the full power of the Speedforce? It's because the Speedforce isn't tied to this world…but to the _Spirit_ World."

Barry's features shifted in understanding. "You went to find the _source_."

Thawne smirked. "And find it I did. Using the tech I brought with me and a mobile power pack, I attempted to harness the Speedforce directly from its reservoir. The experiment backfired, of course—but this time, it didn't cause an explosion…of the destructive sort, that is. No, it caused the contents of the cell to be emptied into _me_. And just like that—" he snapped his fingers, "—I became the fastest man of my time. And _that_ , Barry Allen, that is what _you_ must do now. Travel into the Spirit World. Find the source, find some way of tapping into it."

"But—without that equipment you used—"

"You'll figure it out," Thawne said dismissively. "I believe in you. And besides, I doubt the harnessing equipment was even _necessary_. It was purely by accident that it happened that way in my case."

"So…that's it? I'm just supposed to go into the Spirit World, hunt for this reservoir and hope that I figure out a way to tap into its energy?"

Thawne shrugged. "Essentially. To be honest, I didn't bother to research it much after I got my speed, especially when I found out I could travel through time. After all, when I discovered that, I realized I had all the time in the world to figure out an alternative energy source."

Barry frowned, but nodded slowly, climbing to his feet. " _Really_ never thought I'd say this again, but…thank you."

"Don't thank me," Thawne said flatly. "I didn't do this for you."

"I know," Barry replied. "But you still did it." He sighed hard, making for the exit. "Goodbye, Thawne."

"Until next time, Allen." The way he said it was rough, almost a growl.

Barry felt the crisp southern air on his face minutes later as he strode up to the guard from before and gave him a nod, climbing on the back of his snowmobile.

"Find everything you needed, sir?"

Barry's lips pursed. "I hope so." He turned his head to look toward the south, toward a massive beam of light shining through the blizzard-like weather. "I certainly hope so."

…

Next day

"Are you sure about this? Sure you don't want to take any extra provisions with you?"

Barry smiled at Tonraq and shook his head as he zipped the last of his Flash suit together, the insulated material keeping out most of the cold. "I'm not coming back out until I have my speed. End of discussion."

Tonraq smiled back approvingly. "Well, take care of yourself. I spoke to Korra a few days ago, after she got back to Republic City. Finally got caught up with her. And I now know she'd _kill_ me if you came back anything less than whole."

Barry grinned and nodded. "I'd expect nothing less." He stretched out a hand, shaking the older man's. "Thank you for all of your help. And not just today and yesterday, but always. You've never hesitated to lend me a hand, and I will always be grateful for that."

"I appreciate it. Now get going. I don't know what you'll face in there, but based on what Korra's told me in the past, the sooner you get through it, the better."

Barry turned toward the portal with a look of trepidation. "Right." He took a long breath and pulled his cowl over his features, reaching into his duffel and pulling out Asami's kali sticks. "Wish me luck."

"We will," Senna replied, waving as he moved toward the light.

He gave them both one last smile before stepping through, his vision completely engulfed in white just moments before he came out the other side. His vision was suddenly filled with the vibrant skies and surroundings of the Tree of Time. Various hovering and grounded spirits swarmed around the gigantic tree, attracting Barry's vision and giving him an idea.

"Hey!" he called out, waving his hand in the air. "Any of you know where I can find the Speedforce?"

A number of them stared at him blankly with various strange-looking faces before turning away dismissively.

Barry arched an eyebrow and muttered, "Rude." He shrugged and turned toward the outside, to the massive forests beyond the confines of the field. "Was worth a try." His brows furrowed as he stared out into the massive forested expanse.

 _Thawne never_ did _say exactly what I was looking for._

He reached to his hip, to a messenger bag containing rope and a few other tools he deemed necessary to traverse the varied terrain of the Spirit World, and placed Asami's kali sticks inside for storage.

 _Fortunately, Korra told me a thing or two about her own experiences here. The Spirit World doesn't function quite like our world space-wise, so maps are pretty much useless. She_ did _tell me that this place has a tendency of showing you things you don't know you're looking for, but ultimately need._

He hefted his bag and picked a direction to start walking in.

 _Well, here's hoping she was right._

…

Hours passed in the Spirit World as Barry walked until his legs started to go numb and he completely lost track of time. At least the trip was far from boring. Between the various spirits busy roaming the forests and plains and the variety of the forests and plains themselves, Barry never lacked for something to divert his attention from the burning in his leg muscles. After a while, though, he inevitably started to become worried about his progress, or the lack thereof. The environments started to blend together. Spirits he passed looked progressively more familiar.

He got the feeling he was walking in circles, despite making a staunch effort to go perfectly straight. With a burst of desperation and minor panic, Barry let out a frustrated cry, slumping against a nearby tree as a dense fog fell all around him. He breathed heavily, bending halfway over as he tried to calm himself. Seconds later, a menacing, echoing voice split the air, sending a familiar chill down Barry's spine as he stood ramrod straight.

"Oh, how far the mighty have fallen."

Barry's eyes widened in horror.

 _No. Can't be._

He slowly turned to his left, all color draining from his masked face as he stared at the newcomer. "H-How can you be here?" Barry backed away slowly. "You're—"

"What? Paralyzed?" The yellow-suited figure of Eobard Thawne stepped away from a tree, striding toward Barry with slow, measured steps. He smirked. "You didn't _really_ think that would hold me forever, did you? I mean, really—" he chuckled, "—cutting my spinal cord? Did you think I wouldn't recover, that I wouldn't heal?"

Barry reached into his bag before dropping it, pulling out the electric kali sticks, for whatever good it would do.

"I mean… _you_ would."

Thawne's eyes lit up red as Barry braced for an attack. The hostile speedster charged toward him, the Flash trying to counter with dual swings from his sticks, but missing wide as Reverse-Flash arced behind him and drove a half-dozen speed punches into his back and side. Barry yelled in pain as he kept swinging madly, electricity sparking off his weapons but doing absolutely no damage as Thawne leveled attacks on him from all sides without once breaking stride. He was disarmed of both kali sticks seconds later, Thawne's hand tightening around his throat as a perverse smile came to his lips.

"And after all…I _am_ you." Thawne chuckled as Barry tried to pry his hand away. "You know, even when you _had_ your speed, you never could keep up with me. Now…"

He shrugged and yanked Barry off the ground, punching him with his other fist several times, then slamming him against a tree some ten feet away.

"Now this is just painful for me to watch." Thawne's lips curled into a sneer as his right arm rose and began to vibrate. "Why don't I just put you out of your misery? Save us both the trouble?"

Barry gasped for air as he watched the vibrating appendage draw closer and closer to his chest, a sudden flare of desperation and determination causing him to pull one last trick. A sudden movement from below heralded a blunt, muffled impact and a following grunt on Thawne's part. His masked features twisted in sudden pain as he abruptly released Barry, stumbling back as he groaned and his previously vibrating arm drifted below the belt. Thawne slumped against a nearby tree, eyes bugged out and no longer glowing as he sent a glare in a smirking Barry's direction.

"Heal _that_ ," Barry taunted, snarling and lunging for him a moment later.

Strong, fury-driven punches rained down on the Reverse-Flash from every direction as he attempted to cope with extreme groin pain. Barry gripped him around the throat and slammed him head-first against a nearby tree, then tossed him to the ground as he recovered one of his sticks.

"I don't care _how_ powerful you think you are, Thawne."

Several metallic impacts slammed into the Reverse-Flash's body at various points.

"I will never—" two more shots, this time to his temple and knee, "— _ever_ —" a knee to the face that planted him on the ground, "—lose to you again!"

Barry strode over and straddled his chest, shifting his stick to an underhanded position and snarling slightly. "That's a promise." The kali stick sparked with electricity. "And I _always_ keep my promises."

With a growl of fury, Barry stabbed the electrified tip of his baton into Thawne's chest, holding him in place as he convulsed and yelled in pain, then pulling back once smoke started to rise from his frame. The enemy speedster breathed heavily, eyes flickering with the effort of staying awake. It proved vain when the Flash gave one last yell and slammed the baton into the side of his head with a two-handed swing. Breathing heavily, Barry regained his footing and stumbled backwards, slumping against a nearby tree and coughing several times. He let out another couple of breaths, laughing in relief and turning his eyes skyward.

A gentle breeze passed over his body, and when he looked back down, Thawne was gone. He straightened up, moving toward the place where he'd lain and inspecting the area for any sign of him. There was nothing. No disturbed dirt, no imprint. Nothing to indicate that the Reverse-Flash had even _been_ there. Suddenly, he heard a rustle behind him and whirled around to point his baton toward the source, even as the fog started to dissipate.

"Who's there? You better come out; I am _not_ playing around!"

"Peace, Barry Allen. I mean you no harm."

Barry's eyes widened behind his mask. "Who are you? And how the hell do you know my name?"

A silhouette formed in the fog, slowly moving closer. "I've been watching you for quite some time, Flash. And as for my name…"

The moment the figure stepped out of the gloom, Barry's eyes went wide and his grip around the baton failed.

"You—you're…General Iroh. The _original_ General Iroh."

The old, gray-haired man chuckled warmly. "Please, just Iroh. I'm no soldier anymore. Just a simple man who gives tea and advice to those who ask for them."

Barry stared at him agape for several seconds before snapping out of it and shaking his head. "H-How did you find me?"

Iroh chuckled again and shook his head. "On the contrary, Mr. Allen. It was you who found me."

Barry's brows furrowed as he pulled back his cowl and approached him. "I don't understand."

"You hunt for the location of the Speedforce, do you not?"

"I—how do you know all this?"

Iroh smiled enigmatically. "The same way I know how to help you accomplish your mission." He turned away and waved toward the slowly dissipating fog. "Come. We have a ways yet to go, and much to do with very little time."

"Little time? Why? What's going on?"

The old man's head shook as Barry trailed behind him. "Better that you know later. Regaining your speed will take all of your focus and energy."

Barry's brows knitted in confusion. "I…I don't understand. How do you know that? How do you know about me, about the Speedforce?"

Another chuckle. "My young friend, there are mysteries to the universe that are never meant to be solved. In this place, however, much previously thought unknowable becomes knowledge ripe for the taking—for those who are willing to pursue it. After decades here in the Spirit World, I've learned much of this place—perhaps more than any one Avatar or guru has before. One mystery in particular…was the time _before_ the Avatar. Much of that has been lost to time and decay, but in my hunt for knowledge, I stumbled across one source that has held my attention for many, many years."

"The Speedforce."

Iroh nodded slowly. "An infinite source of power of vision, into the very depths of time and space."

Barry's eyes widened. " _That's_ how you knew about me. How you know so much about the outside world, and Korra."

Another nod. "It was not so easy at first, but the more time I spent studying and attempting to understand the essence of the Speedforce, the greater my connection with it became." He gave Barry a sideways glance and smile. "It isn't anywhere near the connection _you_ used to have, and never will be…but then, I suppose that's to be expected of anyone who isn't a Conduit."

Barry shot him a confused look. "Conduit?"

"Ah, it's a…term I invented, to describe those naturally gifted with a connection to the Speedforce."

"I don't understand."

Iroh sighed. "Think of the Speedforce as a deep, infinite body of water. A river of life and power that stretches into infinity. Now think of yourself as a single tributary of that river, an arc of water that branches off into a certain corner of the universe. You possessed _some_ of its power, but are just one link in an infinite chain. Your connection to it gave you, among other gifts, incredible speed. But when Kuvira employed her reverse speed engine on you, the power running through you was forcibly sucked out, creating a pressure that destabilized the rocks along the river's edge.

"It _blocked_ your connection to the Speedforce, Barry, but didn't sever it completely. Nothing ever can."

"So, traveling here, getting my powers back from the source…isn't about _recharging_."

Iroh's head shook. "It is reopening what Kuvira unknowingly sealed shut."

They fell into silence as they kept walking, the fog finally parting to reveal a deep crater lit by seemingly nothing. A soft blue glow bathed its walls and ground, and as Barry and Iroh approached the edge, something tickled at the edge of the former's consciousness. The longer he stared, the more solid and defined the center of that crater became, until it coalesced into a roiling ball of sapphire energy, with various flecks of gold and other colors coursing across its surface. Barry gaped outright, slowly and almost numbly making his way down the edge of the crater to approach the sphere.

"It's…so…beautiful."

Iroh smiled. "Indeed. And this is merely its representation here."

Barry looked back at him. "Representation?"

He chuckled. "You didn't actually think this was all the Speedforce was, did you? Like you, this is merely one connection to a much larger body, but a direct connection that can never be drained or sealed."

A smile flickered over Barry's features as he slowly approached the source, staring into its depths for several seconds before a frown came to his features. "Wait…the last time I looked into the Speedforce, I could see all across time. Past, present, future." He glanced at Iroh. "Why can't I see any of that now?" He blinked, then held up a hand. "Wait. Don't tell me. Blocked connection."

Iroh nodded. "I established mine, however weak it is, by studying and observing this source for _years_. By contrast, your connection is innate, natural, almost _primal_."

Barry frowned and shook his head. "I still don't understand."

He sighed and seated himself on a nearby log. "There are certain people in the physical plane that are…predisposed toward bearing such a connection. At present, _you_ are by far the strongest. That is why three years ago, during Harmonic Convergence, energy from the Speedforce, which had not exerted its influence on the mortal world for _millennia_ , arced through the gaps between dimensions…and latched onto _you_. It is the same reason there were times that you were so easily able to best Thawne in speed, or why, unlike him, you could travel through time and space without any adverse effects."

Iroh's lips pursed. "It is also why, unlike him, you will need neither equipment nor technology to regain your speed."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Wait…are you tryin' to tell me that Thawne… _isn't_ a Speedforce Conduit?"

"Not a natural one, no."

He blinked several times, breathing out hard as his fingers threaded through his hair. " _That's_ why he lost his powers. His abilities, his connection to the source…it was all _artificial_."

Iroh nodded. "But more than that. Your abilities were given freely. His were taken by _force_."

Barry gave him a look. "Given?"

Iroh smirked. "Without knowing how or why, Oliver Queen was actually quite correct when he said you were _chosen_ to receive your abilities."

Barry blinked hard and gaped. "Wait…wait, are you telling me that this thing…" he pointed at the source, "is somehow…sentient? That it's _alive_?"

Iroh frowned and shrugged. "I…wouldn't go _that_ far. In truth, the Speedforce is no more alive or dead than a hurricane, or the tide that crashes against the shore. It is a force of nature, neither inherently good nor evil. But as with _all_ forces of nature, there _are_ certain rules that govern its actions."

"And when Thawne took from the source, he broke them."

"Yes. He meddled with matters he didn't yet comprehend, and it eventually came back to bite him."

"But…that's not gonna happen with me, right?"

Iroh's head shook.

Barry sighed in relief, turning back toward the Speedforce. "So…what do I do? I just…touch it?"

He nodded slowly. "Take it in both hands. Welcome it, like an old friend finally come home."

Barry nodded, lips pursed, as he took and released a long breath, shaking his hands and approaching the source. "Okay. Here goes."

He reached out slowly, fingers splayed outward, and felt the tingle of electricity begin to dance across his gloved hands. He took another deep breath, jaw tightening as he pushed through a small bit of resistance. His eyes and mouth went wide when he got to the other side, arcs of electricity and amorphous energy roiling around and engulfing him bit by bit, until his entire body was bathed in the Speedforce's power. Time passed by in a blur, various images flashing through his head in an unintelligible flurry until suddenly, it stopped, and he stumbled away from the source.

Barry planted on the ground rear-first, hands bracing against the floor of the crater as he breathed heavily. His right hand rose in front of his face as a wave of exhaustion overtook him, the man attempting to vibrate the appendage. When nothing happened, a surge of frustration and disappointment swelled within him, and he looked up at Iroh with a defeated expression.

"It didn't work," he managed to get out, just seconds before darkness overtook him.

…

A sharp breath entered Barry's lungs as his eyes snapped open, blinking several times to adjust to the relatively dim light around him. He rubbed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to orient himself until the memories came rushing back and another surge of defeat flowed through his veins. He slumped back down against the ground, laying face-up and staring into the sky until a long-suffering sigh reached his ears. His head snapped to the right to see a frowning Iroh brewing tea.

Barry turned his vison back to the sky, blinking several times and frowning as well. "How long was I out?"

"A while. Time has little meaning here, in case you couldn't tell."

Barry slowly sat upright. "So I guess you were wrong."

Another sigh. "No."

Barry arched an eyebrow at him. "Really? Because I _just_ touched the Speedforce, tried to get my powers straight from the source, and _nothing_ happened."

Iroh took a deep breath and waved at a place on the opposite side of his teapot. "Sit down."

"Sir—"

" _Sit_ ," he ordered with a bit more force.

Barry rolled his eyes and stood up, sighing hard and slumping down a second later.

"Have some tea."

Gritting his teeth and fighting back the urge to scream, Barry reached down and poured himself a cup.

"Before we started, I told you that regaining your speed would take all of your focus and energy. Thus far, all you've done is reach out and touch a power source whose intricacies you have no _concept_ of."

Barry frowned, but silently conceded the point. "Still, I need my speed back _now_. Not only does Kuvira have more power than anyone in my world has any hope of matching, but Thawne's back too."

Iroh shot him a curious look. "Really?" He glanced over at the source. "Because last I checked, he's still sitting in his cell."

Barry stared at him. "No, he isn't. I _fought_ him right before you found me."

Realization dawned on the old man's face. "Ah. I see."

"Yeah, so as soon as you can tell me what's wrong—"

"What's wrong is that you believed he was real."

Another stare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Iroh calmly sipped his tea. "The Spirit World, and especially its fog, can play many tricks on the minds of mortal humans. The Reverse-Flash that you fought was merely a projection of that fog. A…spiritual security system, if you will."

"Security system? For what?"

"What do you think? The Speedforce. A power source like that is not something that can or should be accessed by everyone. That fog is its way of defending itself against the wrong kinds of people, those who are not capable of wielding its power."

Barry blinked slowly, gaping a little. "So…he's still—"

"Paralyzed and no longer a threat? Yes, for now. Although if I were you, I would take the possibility of his return quite seriously."

Barry nodded, frowning. "So what's wrong with me? Why can't I use my speed?"

Iroh took a deep breath. "Perhaps I was a little…misleading with my earlier analogy. Conduits are less like a tributary of the Speedforce than they are spouts in a _very_ intricate plumbing system."

Barry arched an eyebrow. "Plumbing? Seriously?"

Iroh gave him a look.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

He cleared his throat. "Conduits are the spouts at the end of a long pipe. Between the spout and the source are two inward-opening valves with two very different triggers. The first and internal valve is the base physical connection. It allows the flow of Speedforce energy into your system, and is necessary for any sort of ability manifestation. You reopened it when you touched the source."

Barry's brows furrowed. "And the second?"

Iroh frowned. "The second is the more difficult, and arguably the more important of the two. It is the spiritual and psychological trigger. And it is _this_ barrier that remains strong."

"Why? Why is it holding me back?"

" _It_ is not holding you back. You are. More specifically, _fear_ is why you fail."

Barry shrugged in confusion. "Fear? Fear of what?"

Iroh's gaze turned intense. "Of yourself."

They sat in silence for a few seconds before Barry huffed in disbelief. "What? That doesn't make any sense. I'm not afraid of myself."

"Perhaps not you in particular, but of the implications of being the Flash."

"But…being the Flash is what I want _most_. It's allowed me to save _so_ many people, to stop the Reverse-Flash, to save the _world_."

"Yes. And it's also given you one of your greatest sources of stress and fear. A power that was discovered as a byproduct of your incredible speed." Iroh leaned toward him gravely. "The ability to travel through time."

Barry's eyes widened in realization. "An ability that I can't control," he concluded.

Iroh's head shook. "No, Barry. You _can_ control it."

"What? No, I can't. I've _never_ been able to."

"Really?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. "Tell me, what was it that Thawne told you to do when you attempted to save your mother? To focus on where and when you wanted to go. Think back, Barry. Close your eyes and focus. When you time traveled the first time, what was running through your mind?"

Barry obeyed and took a long breath. "I was thinking…about Mako. And Caitlin. And my parents. How all of them had died because of Thawne. How I wanted him to pay."

"But you were also thinking of the guilt you carried as a result of not being able to save them, were you not?"

He frowned. "I guess."

"And the second time, when you ran into the portal to save Republic City? What was the last thing you thought of?"

Barry's face screwed up as he fought hard to remember. "I…"

"What was the last thing you saw in your mind's eye?"

"I…saw…" His ice-blue eyes snapped open in realization. "Korra. Leaning against Naga, one year from then."

Iroh nodded slowly. "So, you see, even when you thought you had no control over it, even unknowingly, you decided _exactly_ when you were traveling to."

Barry was silent for a while. "So…I'll never be able to run that fast without time traveling?"

"No, Barry. That's what you've been afraid of. _That_ is why, comparatively speaking, you've been so slow since you returned from Earth-One. Subconsciously, or perhaps consciously, you were afraid that if you went too fast, you would once again lose time in your life, or otherwise do irreparable damage to the timeline."

He shrugged, shaking his head. "How am I supposed to get past that?"

"By achieving mental balance. Accept your abilities, and all they encompass. Accept the danger, but also acknowledge the gifts and all the good you can use them for. Focus on what you want instead of fearing what you _don't_ want. Danger and risk are real. _Fear_ is a choice. As long as you fear any aspect of your abilities, you will continue to restrain yourself, and they will _continue_ to control you, instead of the opposite being true."

Barry frowned deeply, staring at the ground.

 _"To this end—"_

Barry's head snapped toward the source of the voice, immediately recognizing it as Kuvira's.

"— _these two fugitives will serve as a terminal example…of what happens to those who threaten the forces of peace and order in this world."_

He and Iroh stood up, both approaching the Speedforce, where the amorphous ball of energy coalesced into a vision of the throne room in Ba Sing Se's royal palace. Kuvira sat on the throne, in front of a set of cameras, with a chained Korra on her right and Oliver Queen and Roy Harper on her left. Barry's ice-blue eyes widened in horror.

 _Korra, what did you do?_

Flecks of blue flashed through the edge of his vision, showing Korra and the Arrows fighting off several Dai Li agents before shifting back to the throne room.

Barry turned to Iroh. "Wait…is this happening _now_?"

He nodded gravely.

"You _knew_."

Another nod.

Barry turned back to the source.

 _"Terminal?"_ Korra was asking.

 _"Captain…array the prisoners."_

Barry's eyes widened as he caught sight of two guards and the bladed discs they possessed. "No. She can't."

Oliver and Roy were marched toward a gallows.

 _"_ Terminal _?"_ Korra repeated. _"Kuvira, what is this?!"_

Kuvira turned to her. _"Isn't it obvious? This…my dear Avatar…is an execution."_

"No!" Barry screamed. "No, she can't do this! She _can't_!" He turned to Iroh. "What do I do? What do I do?! I can't—" His breathing increased to hyperventilating proportions as his vision shifted back to the source and the throne room.

 _"These two have been fugitives from the police and the military for quite some time, and last night alone, they very nearly killed two of my men. Men who were just following orders."_

"Iroh…"

"Accept it, Barry. Accept it all."

Barry's eyes flitted about the vision wildly as panic thrummed through his veins.

"The power, the danger, the risks, _and_ the gifts."

He caught Korra's panicked expression as she looked between the executioners and Kuvira.

"Focus, Barry. Focus not on what you've done, or what you might do in the future."

Barry's breathing deepened as he stared into Korra's face.

"Focus on what you _must_ do _now_."

One last breath entered his lungs as a determined fury swept through his system, the breath holding for just a second as his jaw tightened. All at once, an all-too-familiar feeling of electric euphoria seized him as his pupils dilated and golden lightning danced in his eyes. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving the roiling orb of the source and a smiling Iroh.

…

A blinding explosion of light split the crisp morning air of the South Pole, the spirit portal flaring with energy an instant before an electricity-rimmed red streak shot from its bowels like a lightning bolt. A thunderous crack sounded in its wake as it streaked past a snow-streaked compound to fly across the azure waves of the South Sea. The masked form of the Flash ran at the head of the streak, a look of unparalleled determination burning in his eyes as he pushed past all barriers, accelerating to time-travel speeds within seconds. An explosive whir filled his ears as blue flecks appeared in the edges of his consciousness, the now-familiar hue of the Speedforce filling his mind with visions.

 _No,_ he told it firmly, mind focusing only on Korra and Ba Sing Se.

The Speedforce faded from view, a few blue streaks still visible in the periphery, but not interfering whatsoever. A confident smirk passed over his features briefly as he sped up even further, moving too fast to see the sheer size of the waves left in his wake. A distant voice echoed through his consciousness.

 _"Deterrence?"_

 _"Yes, Avatar. Deterrence. Something to show the world that rebellion in any form will not be tolerated."_

 _"So you're just willing to sacrifice two good men, people who are trying to do the right thing, because it's_ expedient _?"_

 _"No. Because it's necessary."_

Barry's teeth gritted, and he pushed himself even further, the blur of the ocean giving way to the plains and mountains around Zaofu, the city itself coming and going through his vision in a split-second. Still, he kept accelerating, so focused and dead set on his mission that he couldn't have noticed the four foot wide _trench_ forming in his wake. He reached the edge of the Si Wong Desert in three heartbeats, speeding through its sandy terrain without once slowing or breaking stride. Entire _dunes_ were formed by the sand disturbed in his wake as lightning streamed from every inch of his speeding form.

Still, it wasn't enough.

 _"Ready."_

The visions flickered through the edge of his eyesight, two metalbenders levitating bladed discs.

 _"Aim."_

Korra's desperate look to Oliver.

 _"Fire!"_

The Flash roared in a final burst of speed as the world around him faded only to the city of Ba Sing Se, and the end of a long road.

…

Royal Palace, Ba Sing Se

The metalbenders thrust their arms forward.

Korra screamed.

The open doors let in a draft.

And just like that, the entire room fell into silence.

The silence was broken first by Kuvira, who stood from her throne to take a few steps toward the gallows. Everyone in the room, Kuvira included, stared at the executioner's block—and the two empty spaces where metal discs were imbedded into the wall just behind it.

The commander slowly turned to her captain. "Where are they?" she ground out.

He stared at the space slack-jawed. "They're gone."

"I can _see_ that!" she yelled. " _Where_ did they go?"

"I—I don't know."

She grabbed his collar roughly, snarling at him. "I'm going to give you a moment to _think_ about your next answer. Think _very_ hard."

"I…"

"Well? Where _are_ they?!" Kuvira demanded, shoving him away. "They _obviously_ couldn't have just—" she waved her arms about sarcastically, "—vanished into thin air. That's _impossible_."

Both the captain's response and any more scathing comments from Kuvira were cut off by a low series of chuckles, which quickly escalated into full-blown laughter. Kuvira slowly shifted her glare from her captain to Korra, who was nearly crying with the force of her laughter.

"What's so funny?" she hissed, glaring more fiercely when Korra just laughed harder. " _What_?!"

The Avatar slowly calmed down, gently using the edge of her arm restraints to wipe away actual tears that had started falling. "Nothing," she laughed with a small shake of her head. Her cerulean gaze focused on Kuvira intensely. "Just something the _Flash_ told me once."

Kuvira's eyes widened as a chill ran up her spine.

Korra smirked malevolently. "For us…" her head shook slowly, "impossible's just another Tuesday."

…

Far outside the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, a pair of hooded figures, one red, one green, watched the departure of a lightning-rimmed red form.

"Go get her, Barry," said the green one to the distant streak.

…

In the streets of Ba Sing Se, from the Lower Ring all the way to the affluent Upper Ring, pedestrians and soldiers alike gaped as they watched red and gold pass them by in a mad dash for the Royal Palace.

…

Back in the Royal Palace, Kuvira's eyes were wide in alarm, and she only hesitated for a moment before turning to her men and pointing wildly.

"Seal the doors," she ordered. "Seal them, _now_!"

They obeyed, sprinting for the main and side doors, the latter managing to get closed first. The gigantic main doors slid shut, their bracing bar being lowered into place when a thunderous crack split the air. Kuvira's eyes went wide as, for the very first time, she experienced true fear.

…

In the split-second before impact, the Flash knew he could've phased through the main doors, he did. But subtlety was decidedly _not_ his aim. Not this time. Kuvira set up that execution, an execution of _his_ friends, to send a message to the world. Well, they were all about to find out that he had a message of his own.

With a scowl and a flying leap, the lower half of the throne room's main doors shattered, the rest of them flying off their hinges and falling inward atop two Earth Empire soldiers. Metal and earth levitated and flew all around the throne room as his lightning-rimmed form catapulted into Kuvira's soldiers like a wrecking ball. Sounds of cracked metal and stone walls filled the room along with the sizzle of golden electricity as one by one, within the space of about eight seconds, every last guard was laid out on the ground like cheap garbage.

The last soldier, a captain by the looks of him, was picked up by the throat and slammed into the ground just ten feet in front of Kuvira, the Flash pausing to smirk at the tyrant herself. He took off an instant later as she attempted to fling something at him, the force of his impact sending her flipping backwards several rotations before smacking against the ground hard. As she pushed herself halfway upright, her green eyes widened at the spiraling lightning storm flowing around Korra's shackled body. Two seconds passed before it stopped, revealing the Flash standing with one arm around the waist of the now-free Avatar.

He grinned at Kuvira from ear to ear for just a second, just long enough for her to see, then took off out the destroyed front door, with nothing she could do to stop him.

…

In a central, unused portion of the Agrarian Zone, the area between the inner and outer walls of Ba Sing Se, golden lightning streaked from all different directions, visiting nearby stock-houses and materials sheds before stopping by in the center. Every time he passed by, a small bit of black oil was splashed on the ground. People around the city, from every ring, climbed to vantage points to observe what was happening. Little by little, over the course of twenty seconds, an image formed in the unused field, one last lap creating a black circle around it.

The Flash ran around the oil stains in a massive, rapid circle, building more and more speed until he felt a familiar surge of energy. And then he brought his right arm back, flinging it forward as he came to a stop and sending a single bolt of lightning into its center. Within seconds, the entire thing lit up in a hot, flaming mess.

In the shape of a giant, ringed lightning bolt.

The Flash stood at the outermost edge of the symbol, opposite Ba Sing Se's Upper Ring, breathing a little heavily and looking up toward the Royal Palace to see the dot of a familiar armored figure exit the structure. And he just smiled.

…

Kuvira stared in horror at the fiery symbol burning within sight of the entire city, the mildly cloudy qualities of the morning casting a contrasting shadow that only intensified its glow, but allowing the sun to permeate the gloom just beyond its edge. Slowly, her gaze traveled to the red-suited figure bathed in sunlight, standing some distance away from the fire, and she glared as he gave her a two-fingered salute, then streaked off in a storm of golden lightning. That was when she also realized that the cameras were still rolling—and that they'd caught _everything_. The Flash's entrance, his rescue of her prisoners, her inability to stop him.

And now, the burning symbol of Republic City's Scarlet Speedster burned into the fields of _her_ land like a warning.

A furious scowl came to her face as the full realization of his actions struck her, a growl coming from her throat as her right fist clenched, crushing the cameras. As she turned to storm back into the palace, though, she knew the truth. It was a live feed.

The damage had already been done.

…

And elsewhere, beyond the bounds of the "Impenetrable City," the fastest man alive ran with a seemingly permanent grin attached to his face, feeling more alive and free than he had in a long, _long_ time. Barry took a deep breath.

"Whoooooooo!"

As the Flash's triumphant cries filled the surrounding countryside of Ba Sing Se, lightning struck once more.

With it came thunder—and a renewed surge of hope.

* * *

AN: BAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! You guys have _no_ idea how long I've wanted to write this chapter. The last three pages of this have been the object of my imagination and—at times—obsession almost since I began this story. In short, this entire arc—Barry losing his speed, dealing with Savage, Korra and Team Arrow getting captured—it was all about _this moment_.

So, as I come down from the _massive_ writer's high I got off of this chapter, I want to let you know that while the Flash seemed _entirely_ overpowered in the latter section of this chapter, I will _not_ be keeping him that way for a reason many hardcore Flash fans will know. He'll explain why next chapter, which should be coming soon, but no promises. I really wanted to wrap up this arc before I started releasing anything else. We'll see.

Lo and behold, we're steadily approaching the end of this story, with all the epicness and changes that I have planned. Just one final push is all that's necessary, and I really hope I can get through it without stopping again, but like I said before, we'll see. Rest assured, I'm gonna milk this burst of inspiration for everything it's got.

At any rate, I really, really, _really_ hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more, because there are a few loose ends to tie up before I end this story, and of course the second Battle of Republic City.

PLEASE review this chapter for everything you've got. This is by far one of my absolute favorites, if only for the end sequence.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake

P.S.: For those of you who are keeping up with _The Flash_ , I wrote this chapter LONG before episode 21 of season 2 came out.

Musical Inspirations:

Justice League: the Flashpoint Paradox – Last Man Standing: 1:23-1:56—visions in the Speedforce to "what you must do", 1:56-2:02—one last breath/gone in a blink, 2:02-2:16—explosion of light to water running, 2:16-2:28—explosive whir/saying no, 2:28-2:41—distant voices, 2:41-2:55—another burst of effort/through the desert, 2:55-end—"Ready" to end of the road

Justice League: the Flashpoint Paradox - Hell of a Messenger: 2:09-2:15—"What?!" to "Just something the Flash told me…", 2:15-2:21—"For us, Impossible is…", 2:21-2:28—"Go get her" to mad dash, 2:28-2:36—"Seal the doors" to sonic boom, 2:36-2:49—the Flash makes an entrance/Speedforce fight, 2:49-2:55—freeing Korra/rapid exit, 2:55-3:22—oil painting, 3:22-3:36—burning symbol/sending a message, 3:36-3:40—Barry smiles, 3:40-3:46—Kuvira's rage/damage done, 3:46-end—the Flash runs/lightning strikes


	46. Remembering

Remembering (adj.): in the process of bringing some past event to mind, typically with some level of analytical thought.

2 minutes later

Earth Empire territory

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Golden lightning briefly flickered over the surface of a Queen Consolidated boat docked several miles north of Ba Sing Se, catching the attention of three figures arrayed in various different colors. One's face split into a gigantic grin as she charged toward the now-unmasked source, practically squealing as she leapt toward him. Barry yelped a little, startled, but caught her all the same, counterbalancing her weight just in time for her lips to mash against his. He hummed into her mouth as a not-so-quietly-muttered, "Get a room," came from Korra's back, prompting them to eventually pull apart.

Barry's face was flushed, and Korra's had just a tinge of pink, her lips still in an ear-to-ear grin. Her arms looped around his neck as he lowered her to the ground, his hands still on her waist.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" she asked a little breathlessly.

Barry grinned back. "Just a couple days ago." He kissed her again, soundly. "But I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing it."

Korra pressed her face into his neck, holding him tightly as he smiled into her shoulder. They eventually turned to the other two present.

Barry nodded at one of them. "Hey, Roy. Good to see you again."

The red-hooded vigilante gave him a look. "Really?" He gave Korra a pointed nod when Barry gave him a look of confusion.

"What?" the speedster asked, shrugging. "We're all friends here."

"He's right," said Oliver when Roy looked like he'd make a fuss. "Whatever you say to Barry, you can say to her."

"See?" Barry asked, waving at Oliver.

"How do you know him?" Korra asked, frowning in curiosity.

Barry turned to her. "When you were gone for six months, the breach spat out a bunch of metahumans from Earth-One. I didn't get all of 'em before they got out of the city, and a few made their way to Earth Kingdom territory." He nodded toward the Arrows. "Oliver and his team helped me get a few of them back. Speaking of, you have yet to meet Black Ca—"

Oliver cleared his throat loudly. "I hate to interrupt, but is there any chance you grabbed our bows on the way out?"

"Uhhhh…" He shrugged. "Whoops?"

Ollie sighed. "You can't have _everything_ , I guess. We'll make do," he added with a reassuring smile.

Barry nodded, about to speak when an impossibly loud growl cut him off. He cringed, clutching his stomach and bending over a bit. "Is there, uh, any chance you guys can get back on your own? I am… _beyond_ starving."

Oliver chuckled and nodded. "You did all the legwork. We got things from here."

He nodded back, turning to Korra and cupping her cheek. "Ready to go home?"

She practically leapt into his arms. "Hell yes. Though we may want to pick _something_ up on the way back. Don't want you passing out on me."

Barry grinned and shook his head. "I'll be fine long enough to get to our favorite place."

Korra arched an eyebrow, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Narook's?"

He grinned wider, turning southwest as he bent his knees slightly. "Now, watch…this."

A brief look of confusion passed over her features until he took off, moving and accelerating far faster than she'd _ever_ seen. He passed the entirety of Ba Sing Se in less than a minute, its desert surroundings left behind moments later as everything started to blur together.

Korra looked up at him, her jaw on the rapidly passing ground. "Barry, exactly how fast are you going right now?"

He grinned. "Fast enough to need to put the brakes on time travel."

Her eyes went wide. "A-Are you serious? Isn't this dangerous?"

His head shook. "Not anymore. The Speedforce and I sort of…came to an understanding."

She arched an eyebrow. "There are so many questions I have about that sentence, it's not even funny."

Barry chuckled. "I've got _so_ much to tell you, but it can wait 'til later. Right now, we have a date."

Korra shot him a surprised look. "A date? You just regained your speed, went however many miles to save Oliver and Roy, sent Kuvira a message she'll _never_ forget, and you're running the both of us back to Republic City and you want to go on a _date_?"

He shrugged. "Why not? I'm hungry, and like you said last week, I can't _remember_ the last time we went out together. Like, _actually_ went out. Kill two birds with one stone."

She huffed a series of laughs, head shaking. "You're _crazy_."

Barry grinned. "And you love me for it."

Korra pressed her face into his neck. "Yep. Totally."

It was a mere six minutes between their departure and arrival at Air Temple Island, Barry breaking into outright laughter when Tenzin and the airbender kids all swarmed from the main building. They immediately enveloped Korra in hugs, Barry following a moment later with a death grip around the neck from Meelo. He grunted as the blood circulation to his head was briefly cut off, flowing back in a moment later as the airbender child abruptly released him. He took a few coughing breaths, blinking rapidly and sending Korra a crooked smile. She just shook her head and laughed.

Tenzin just stared at Barry openmouthed. "You…I…"

"Tenzin," Korra interrupted with a chuckle, "you're doing a very inspired impression of a hooked fish, but try to use your words, okay?"

He shot her a look, then turned back to Barry. "That was…one of the most incredible things I've seen in _years_. I mean, you…you confronted and _defeated_ Kuvira within her own fortress. And no one could lay a _finger_ on you."

"Kinda begs the question of why you didn't finish her off," Meelo added with a small glare.

Barry frowned. "Because—" He shuddered and swayed to one side, Korra rushing to support him as he took several deep breaths. "Sorry, just…that's why."

Tenzin frowned in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Yeah," Korra added with a concerned note. "Me neither."

He gulped. "Running…as fast as I did, just to _get_ there." His head shook. "That's by _far_ the fastest I've ever run, by several orders of magnitude. I…" he took another shuddering breath, "I don't think I can run that fast again. At least…not for a while. Not until I get more accustomed to it."

Korra frowned. "What do you mean?"

He gently shrugged her off, straightening up. "I mean…that although I had a handle on my time traveling capabilities, the faster I went…the more I could feel the Speedforce pulling at me."

She exchanged a concerned glance with Tenzin.

"Is this going to be a problem?" the airbender asked.

Barry's head shook slowly. "I don't think so. Long as I don't try to run across the world again anytime soon."

Korra's eyebrows arched. "You ran…all the way from the South Pole?"

He nodded.

"In…how long?"

Barry looked up in thought. "About…sixty seconds?"

Simultaneously, five jaws dropped at once.

Tenzin was the first to recover, though not completely. "Is…that why we're getting reports of freak tides down south and a giant, four-foot-wide trench in the eastern half of the continent?"

The speedster chuckled nervously, cringing a little, and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh…that'd be my guess."

Korra stared at Barry, eyes and mouth open wide. "You…went across the world…in one minute?"

"Uh…yeah, that's about the long and short of it."

She blinked a few times, mouth opening and closing noiselessly for a while. "Wait…that's a…that's a twelve hundred mile trip. Exactly how fast were you _going_?"

"On average—" he looked up, mentally calculating for a few moments, eyebrows shooting up a little, "—about seventy-two thousand miles an hour."

More jaw drops.

"And that's on _average_. Means I must've run quite a bit faster than that at some point in the run."

"How…did you not kill Oliver and Roy when you pulled them out?"

"I slowed down, in like the last half-second of my run." He frowned in confusion. "Still was moving too fast to have carried them out safely, though. Come to think of it, I'm usually moving way too fast not to snap someone's neck or back when I snatch 'em out of danger. There's… _literally_ no scientific explanation for why nobody's died that way." Barry arched an eyebrow. "Though based on what I learned down there, there might be a spiritual component involved. Who knows?" He grinned. "All that matters is that you're all safe, and that I'm back and stronger than ever."

"Yeah," Korra replied, smiling. She looked him over. "So…you still feel up to that date?"

He groaned a little. "Yeah, I do feel pretty wrecked. I mean, I get my speed back and the first thing I do is run from the southern spirit portal all the way to Ba Sing Se? And while annihilating all my old records to boot?" He smiled. "But yeah, I'm still up for it. Not gonna let a little exhaustion get between us and authentic Water Tribe cuisine."

Korra smirked and shook her head, taking his hand. "We'll see you guys later, okay?" she said to Tenzin and the others.

"Of course," the airbender replied with a bow.

"Yeah."

"See ya, Korra!"

"Don't be a stranger!"

Barry grinned and picked her up, speeding her into the city and coming to a stop in an alley next to Narook's. He was out of his suit and back in civvies in seconds, the ring going into his pants pocket as he returned his hand to hers. With slow, luxurious steps, they strode through the doors of the restaurant, more than content to leave their cares at the door, for a brief moment resolving to shut out the rest of the world. For now, it was just him and her, as it should've been.

…

 _Sluuuuurp!_

Within the space of ten minutes, a meal fit for an entire family of six was laid out on their table, and five minutes later, most of it was gone. Barry downed one dish after another, like an automatic wood chopper as Korra was stuck halfway between her own chewing and laughing herself under the table watching him. Thankfully, he somehow managed to keep himself from devouring his breakfast at superspeed, although even if he hadn't, they were in a booth secluded enough to avoid notice, at least for a while.

Finally, Barry started slowing down as he ate down to the second to last serving, Korra reaching the halfway mark on her own dish. As he slurped up another thick cluster of noodles, Korra smirked and shook her head, laying her free hand on his. His head snapped up toward her, ice-blue eyes a little wide. He sucked the last noodles into his mouth as his face went a little red.

"Sorry," he coughed through something that didn't go down right. "I'm just—"

"Hungry as all hell, yeah." Korra laughed. "I got that." She waved at the empty dishes. "To be frank, after everything you went through to get here, I'd be a little worried if you weren't this hungry."

"Speaking of, I still need to tell you about what happened."

She waved him off. "Later. We're on a date, remember?"

He cringed. "Yeah, and I've been neglecting my date this whole time."

"Hey, we talked _plenty_ before the food came. It's not like we have to be constantly interacting, Bear." Korra smiled and rubbed his hand. "Just being around you is enough." She smirked. "Besides, you can't neglect _or_ treat your date right if you're passed out from lack of food."

Barry blushed a little harder.

Korra shoved his bowl further toward him in response. "Eat."

With a grateful smile, Barry nodded and shoveled down the entirety of the bowl's contents. As he cleaned off his chopsticks, he released a small sight. "So, apparently, I've been gone for three days. And one of those was spent in the Spirit World."

She arched an eyebrow. "Really? Your search led you there?"

He nodded slowly. "I'll tell you all the details later, but suffice to say, I found a direct link to the Speedforce there. Touching it unlocked the way to get my speed back."

Korra frowned. "You mean it didn't just come back?"

His head shook. "Using the Speedforce is no more or less dependent on one's mental and emotional state than your own abilities. Between accidentally swapping two deaths and losing a year, I was _terrified_ of somehow going too fast, doing more damage to the timeline than could ever be repaired."

Her head cocked. "And now you're not?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Acceptance is a powerful thing, Korra." A shrug. "I don't think I've ever been more at peace with my powers—with _everything_ , really—than I am right now." His hands gently gripped hers. "All my life, I've felt this hunger inside, a need to find my place in the world. Now I know, and it's _wonderful_." He looked down at their intertwined hands, rubbing a thumb over the back of her hand and smiling widely. "I _love_ my life, Korra. Every part of it." He brought her hand to his lips.

Korra smiled back, something else tugging her lips down. "I'm glad." A dour glaze came over her eyes as her grip tightened around his hand. "I'm glad."

Barry frowned a little. "You okay?"

She forced a smile back onto her face. "Yeah. Just tired."

He kept frowning, but nodded.

"Something's been bothering me," she said, changing the subject.

Barry perked up. "Oh?"

Korra smirked. "Why didn't you just take the _northern_ spirit portal? I mean, in the Spirit World, they _are_ right next to each other, and it would've gotten you a lot closer."

One eyebrow arched. "You think I didn't try? I did. But, it's like…something was blocking me. I was being repelled or something, like some kind of spiritual magnetism."

"Weird."

"You're telling _me_?" His head shook slowly. "There's _so_ much to the Speedforce that I still don't understand, and probably never will."

They were silent a while, Barry's right hand going for his last dish as Korra stared at the table, deep in thought.

"Hey."

Her head snapped up to face him intently.

He blinked and smiled a little. "I love you."

She managed to smile back. "I love you too."

Their foreheads pressed together briefly in an intimate gesture. Barry spent the last ninety seconds in the restaurant finishing and paying for their food. When it was all over, nothing was left except yuans and a "thank-you" note.

…

2 hours later

Air Temple Island

Korra stared out into the endless horizon of Yue Bay, the setting sun holding her gaze for minutes on end until she heard the boards of the open structure she stood in creak with approaching steps.

"I brought you some tea."

Korra looked back to see Asami striding up to her, smiling.

"I thought you might be cold out here."

She pushed off her rail mount and accepted the cup. "You're so sweet. Thanks." Korra turned back toward the horizon without taking a sip, feeling the steam curling from its surface waft over her neck.

"Where's Barry? I kind of expected he'd want to share this with you." Asami waved at the sunset.

Korra's lips twitched upward. "He's in my room, sleeping like a rock. Running eighteen-hundred miles in the space of about eight minutes will do that, especially when twelve-hundred of that total was run in less than sixty seconds."

Asami's eyes went wide. "Are you _serious_?"

She nodded. "It's the fastest he's gone by _far_."

A smirk rose to her lips as she remembered how helpless Kuvira and her men had been against him. It quickly faded when her mind turned to something that'd occurred to her over lunch.

"Are you okay?" Asami asked suddenly. "You seem out of sorts."

Korra looked down. "Sorry. I've just…been thinking about something Toph said." She looked back at Asami. "She told me that the world doesn't need me, and that it's basically pointless to try to stop Kuvira."

"That's _ridiculous_."

Korra looked back into the water below. "At the time, I thought so too. I figured she was just being her normal cranky self. But I'm beginning to think she had a point."

"No," Asami corrected firmly, "she _doesn't_. The world _does_ need you. You're the _Avatar_."

Korra glanced back at her. "But no matter what I do, the world seems to be always out of balance." She sighed. "Growing up, I couldn't _wait_ to be the Avatar. I thought I was _really_ gonna change things. I was _so_ naïve. The first time I saw Amon take someone's bending away, I was _terrified_. Then my worst nightmare came true."

Asami's head shook slowly. "Korra, you're forgetting about all the good that happened after you exposed Amon as the fraud he was. The Equalist movement lost its leader _and_ its power. Free elections were held in the United Republic, and nonbenders _finally_ had a voice. People had _hope_ again, and it was all because of you."

"And _I_ was hopeful too," Korra admitted. "But that feeling didn't last long. As soon as I defeated Amon, a _new_ enemy took his place. Because of Unalaq, I betrayed Tenzin, opened the portals, and threw the Spirit and human worlds into chaos. It was _my_ fault he fused with Vaatu and became a Dark Avatar. And I was helpless to stop him from destroying Raava _and_ cutting off my connection to my past lives. With Raava gone, Unalaq and Vaatu became more powerful than ever."

"But _you_ became more powerful too," Asami interrupted. "I mean…you turned into a giant _spirit_."

"Yeah," Korra replied, smiling a little, "that _was_ pretty awesome."

"And opening the spirit portals turned out to be a _good_ thing. You brought back the airbenders and caused a positive shift in the world." Asami smirked. "Not to mention the… _other_ results."

Korra smiled, her gaze glassing over a bit as gold lightning flashed in her mind's eye. It turned into a frown moments later. "Yeah. But Barry and the airbenders weren't the _only_ things changed that night. The Mardons, Blackout, Tony—" She glanced back at a frowning Asami. "I know he turned out okay in the end, but 'Sami, he hurt a _lot_ of people before that."

She sighed. "I know."

Korra shrugged. "And Zaheer got airbending too, and nearly _killed_ me. If it weren't for Zaheer, the Earth Queen would still be alive. There would've been no crisis in the Earth Kingdom, and Kuvira wouldn't be in power. Things are more out of balance than _ever_ now. Nothing's changed!"

"Is that what you think?"

Korra and Asami froze in their tracks, both turning around to see Barry standing there, lips parted and a frown in his eyebrows.

Barry's lips pursed as he approached Korra. "You think that because things are bad _now_ , that what you've done hasn't changed a thing?"

Korra frowned. "If it has, it _certainly_ hasn't been for the better."

He snorted. "Depends on your point of view." His head shook slowly as he looked out into the bay. "When we first met, I had my powers, yeah, but I didn't know what to do with them. I just…kept to my routine, did my job. I melded into the crowd that day, on Air Temple Island, because I was _used_ to doing that. I was _comfortable_ in it. I'd had my abilities for _months_ and done _nothing_ with them, because I was too afraid of…" he shrugged, "whatever." He looked back to her. "But when I picked you up that day, and when we talked later that night, you showed me…you made me understand the good I could do, for this city _and_ the world."

He put his hands on her shoulders. "And for the people who matter to me most."

Korra smiled. "And I'm _glad_. I'm glad that I could be there for you, to show you the way."

Barry arched an eyebrow. "But?"

She shrugged and sighed hard. "Every time I've reached out and touched a situation, it's gotten worse in some way. _Every_ time."

"People make mistakes, Korra. Even people with ten thousand year old souls," he added almost jokingly.

Korra gave him a look.

"We have to take solace in the ones we save—"

"Instead of obsessing over what we lost."

Barry smiled and nodded to her. "You taught me that."

Korra sighed and looked down, hands fisting at her sides. "I know," she replied quietly. "But the truth is…ever since then, _you've_ been the one making positive change in the world, not me."

Barry's eyes widened.

She looked up at him and smiled. "I am…in _awe_ of the man you've become, as the Flash _and_ Barry Allen. The truth is, I'm beginning to understand that…with people like you, and Oliver, and Firestorm…" Korra shrugged, "the world doesn't _need_ the Avatar anymore."

Asami and Barry stared at her as the silence dragged on over several seconds.

"Korra—"

Barry cut Asami off. "That…has to be…the craziest thing I've _ever_ heard you say." His voice was quiet, but tense.

Korra picked up on it and reached toward him. "Barry—"

He pulled back, holding his hands up, lips pressed together hard. "I _know_ how you feel right now. First Kuvira beats you at Zaofu, and then you get captured trying to bring in Savage. It's just one loss after another, but don't think for one _second_ that you can't make a difference the way I can."

"Barry—"

" _No_ ," he interrupted sharply. "It is _my_ turn to talk. You listen."

Korra's eyes widened and mouth shut with an audible click.

Barry took a breath. "You were the _first_ , Korra. You were… _are_ the best of us. You always have been. And you and that spirit inside you have protected this world from things we can't even _fathom_ for the last ten _thousand_ years. Things change, I know. I've gone through quite a _bit_ of change in the last two years myself. But you— _you_ are the one who brings balance, every time." His hands fisted at his sides as he paced for a moment, stopping short to face her. "So, if you're walking away from that…because you think that we can handle it, that you've done your part and it's time to pass the torch on…" he shrugged, "fine. We'll throw you a parade."

Korra looked at him blankly, tension filling her at the edge in his tone.

Barry's jaw tightened. "But if you're giving up…because you think it's _easier_ than continuing the fight?" He huffed and backed away slowly, shaking his head. "Then maybe you're not the hero we all thought you were."

Korra stared at him agape, her eyes wide as he left the island in a flash of lightning. She slowly turned back to the sunset, shoulders alternating between heaving and shaking as she leaned against the rail.

"He's right," she admitted softly.

"But so are you."

Asami and Korra whirled around to look at Tenzin.

"I _am_?" Korra asked disbelievingly.

"She _is_?" Asami added.

"It's true," Tenzin confirmed, approaching them. "There will _always_ be new conflicts and enemies to face. But the important thing is to _learn_ from your enemies, and better yourself over time…which you have. You've changed _so_ much since you first arrived on Air Temple Island. When you _first_ came here, you were hotheaded—and a bit selfish. But you've matured into a thoughtful young woman who puts the needs of _others_ before herself. The new Air Nation is a testament to that. You sacrificed _everything_ to save them. You're an inspiration to the world."

Korra stared at him for a while, a small smile coming to her lips as she looked down. "Thank you both." She turned toward the sunset, looking over at the lighthouse some distance away. Something changed in her stance, and her smile widened a little as she turned back to them. "I _know_ this Kuvira problem is only going to get worse…but no matter what happens, no matter how crazy things get, I'll _always_ try to restore balance."

Tenzin and Asami beamed.

"I'm glad," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But I think someone _else_ needs to hear this more."

Korra sighed hard. "I know." She frowned deeply, spearing her fingers through her hair. "Ugh…I've been running away from the hard things for too long." Her hands fisted, and she stomped off toward the bridge to the mainland.

Asami smirked and fell into step with her. "I'll drive."

…

15 minutes later

Sato Estate

She found him in the study, reading some thick novel—or maybe it was a textbook. Her eyes glanced over it for a split-second before dismissing it as unimportant. Korra stopped in the doorway, just within his peripheral vision, and waited for him to notice her, which he did after a few seconds. Barry set the book down immediately, taking a brief glance at the page number, then stood with a strange look on his face.

Korra gently cleared her throat. "We…should probably talk."

"Yeah," he agreed softly.

Korra moved toward him slowly, hands toying with each other. She finally worked up the nerve to look him in the eye.

"I'm so —"

"I'm sor—"

They both stopped short and blinked several times, laughing softly as Barry rubbed the back of his head.

"I should probably—"

"No," he interrupted, "let _me_ go first."

Korra's lips pursed, and she nodded.

Barry took a long breath and released it slowly. "I'm…sorry, for what I said earlier. I was just so…shocked." He shrugged. "And, yeah, more than a little disappointed." He got a pleading look in his eyes as he took her hands. "But…I _never_ should've said those things. It was…harsh and out of line and—"

"Right," she interrupted. "It was also right."

He stared at her. "I should've found a better way to say it."

Korra shrugged. "Maybe. With most people." She smiled ruefully. "But…I have a…tendency to be more than a _bit_ hardheaded when it comes to change." Another shrug. "The truth is…I need a little harsh these days. Certainly did when it came to metalbending the last of the poison out of my system."

Barry smirked and stroked her arms. "I just…" he looked down at her hands, then back up to her eyes, "Korra, there is nothing, and I mean _nothing_ you could say or do that could ever, _ever_ change the way I feel about you. Nothing. I don't care if you're the Avatar or not. You, Korra, are the person I want a future with."

She beamed back at him, nodding slowly as she fought to keep her composure, at least a little longer. "Then you'll be _extra_ happy to know that the Avatar is still in business."

He blinked.

"I heard what you said, what _everyone_ said, and they were right. _You_ were right. Letting this situation fall into the hands of someone else was the easy play. As was staying away from Republic City and _everything_ after you were gone, and even after you came back. I was afraid, Barry. Afraid of losing even more, of _being_ afraid."

Barry nodded slowly. "I know _exactly_ what you mean. After I came back and realized I lost a year, I limited myself. Put blocks on my speed, on just how fast I allowed myself to go, out of fear that I would tap into time travel again, or some power I hadn't discovered yet, and lose what little I had left." He shrugged. "But it was all lies. Lies to make myself feel better about my own inadequacy. It doesn't matter who you are, or how powerful you become." He smirked. "Not even the _Flash_ can outrun the pain and tragedy that comes our way. It's all a part of life, and accepting it, accepting all that—it's the only way to live. To just…roll with it."

"And even if things keep going down the tubes," Korra added, "even when everything gets out of whack…it doesn't give us license to give up. If we do that…the darkness wins." Her jaw tightened. "And I refuse to let that happen on my watch." She nodded to him. "Or yours." She smiled. "And it's like you said. If something happens to you or Asami or anyone I care about, and I could've done something, but didn't because I was _afraid_ …I'll never forgive myself."

Barry smiled and rubbed her shoulders. "I'm glad we're on the same page." He sighed, wincing a little. "And I'm… _really_ sorry about before."

Korra arched an eyebrow as he started babbling semi-incoherently.

"I was just coming off that high, with rescuing you guys, and then to see you giving up like that, and I was like, 'WHAAAAA' and then you gave me that look like when we first met and—mmph!"

Korra had both hands cupping the back of his head, pulling his lips into hers—well, really more hers into his, given that he was currently stumbling back toward the study's couch.

"Korra, I—"

"Shut uuuuup," she mumbled around his mouth, covering it with hers and keeping up her pushing until he fell back-first against the cushions.

Their lips mashed together in a semi-incoherent frenzy of shared affection, his arms coming up to encircle her hips and pull her against him tightly. When they finally broke apart, it was for Barry to bury his nose in her neck, trailing kisses on her silky skin, all the way up to her jaw. His arms tightened around her midsection as they shifted to a halfway sitting position, Korra running her hands across his back as he nuzzled her hair. Barry brought his lips to her ear.

"Stay with me," he whispered breathlessly. "Just for a while."

She smiled into his shoulder and pressed a lingering kiss against his neck, feeling him shudder a little beneath her. "Always, Barry," she whispered.

One hand rose to gently stroke his hair as she shifted to sit in his lap, feeling his arms around her midsection as they both turned to watch several ignited logs flickering in the fireplace. His chin gently landed on her shoulder, head leaning against the side of hers as his eyes fluttered closed. Korra smiled and kept stroking his hair with one hand, the other falling to rest on his wirily muscled forearms.

"Always."

* * *

AN: Yay! Finished another chapter the day after the last one came out. Cool. This is just a bit of filler—necessary filler, but filler all the same. I really wanted to have a calm, quiet update as a bit of a rest and a small celebration of the sheer badassery that was last chapter while finally getting Korra her stones back.

All throughout Act I it killed me to have to write so many beatdown scenes with her, especially with the Reverse-Flash and other metahumans. NO MORE. The Avatar is a world-renown superhero. From here on out, she's gonna _act_ like it.

More to come soon, I hope. This seemed like a decent drop-off point for now. For the rest of the story (probably), I won't release anything until I have a few chapters done. Maybe even all of them. We'll see.

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this little break from the action and are looking forward to more.

As always, _oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	47. Family

Family (n.): a person or people related to one and so to be treated with a special loyalty or intimacy.

Next day

Sato Estate, Republic City

2 years, 7 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

It's a rare thing, to wake up before the fastest man alive, especially when you've both gone to sleep at the same time. His metabolism and regenerative abilities allow him to make do with less sleep than most people, and his natural hyperactivity typically precludes heavy sleeping. On this particular day, though, Avatar Korra found herself smiling down at his sleeping form, mouth half open, arms curled around her midsection and head laying against her torso. At some point in the night, they'd shifted positions, and Barry's subconscious mind apparently decided that she was better as a pillow than a blanket. Considering where his head was currently resting, she couldn't say she disagreed with its assessment.

He'd always intended to take her back home before crashing back at the estate (not wanting to make sleeping together a habit for fear of her father), but sleep had crept up on them before it could be identified. As it turned out, Korra was more than okay with the results. Her cerulean eyes drifted over his fully clothed body, fingers threading through his windblown auburn hair for a moment before curling around his head and holding it closer to her chest. She tucked his head under her chin and eyed a batch of fresh logs in the fireplace. Embarrassment at potentially being caught like this briefly flitted through her head before she dismissed it and quietly sent a stream of flame toward the wood.

It ignited moments later, and she leaned back, one hand cupping his cheek while the other arm curled around his torso and pulled him against her. Barry had been right on the trip back from Zaofu. This didn't feel good, or familiar, or even merely pleasurable. It felt _right_ , which contained each of the above and was infinitely better than the sum of all. A warm smile crept to her lips as she briefly pressed them to his forehead, gently pulling the rest of his body up to lay on her lap. She felt an intense tug in her chest, a sudden need to hold him even closer—not that it was possible. As it was, if it weren't for their clothes in the way, they'd be completely skin on skin, nothing between them whatsoever.

With a brief and quiet sigh, she contented herself with simply holding him, sternly telling the tug to shut up and let her enjoy the moment. It obeyed. Asami's obnoxious royal guest didn't.

"Awwww…this is so _cute_."

Korra's head snapped toward a hazy-eyed Wu, sending a firm glare in his direction as she put a single finger to her lips. He held his hands up in surrender and backed away into another room. Korra sighed hard.

 _Moment ruined. What is he even doing up anyway?_

She felt stirring in her arms a moment later and frowned at the loss of opportunity. A small sigh came from Barry's throat as he straightened up a little to tighten two arms around her midsection, then press his face into her neck. His breathing deepened and slowed as he got more comfortable, Korra leaning right back.

"I don't wanna move."

Korra smiled at his whispered statement. "Me neither."

"Then let's not. We save the world every other day. Let someone else take the reins for once."

She frowned. "Yeah. Been there. Done that."

He blinked a few times and looked up at her as she held his gaze.

"Never again."

A drowsy but genuine smile curved his lips as he slowly nodded into her shoulder. "That's my girl."

Her heart did a little flip at his gentle possessiveness, a smile stretching over her face. "So…" her hand returned to stroking his hair, "I guess yesterday really took a lot out of you."

Barry huffed and groaned a little. "You have no idea. Feels like I got whammied by Bivolo again…except this time it feels…I don't know, like, more natural?"

Korra smirked and arched an eyebrow. "So…you 'naturally' ran yourself into the ground." A shrug. "Sounds about right."

Barry grinned and shook his head, pressing his face further into her shoulder.

She held his head against her shoulder, laying her cheek on his auburn hair and stroking her fingers through it.

His expression went serious. "So…the decision you made yesterday…about being the Avatar."

Korra arched a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Did you come to that conclusion for your sake or mine?"

She blinked. "For me." A smirk. "But because of you. I've never backed away from a challenge before, and you reminded me of that. This is a part of myself that I need, and not just because I've been doing this for thousands of years. This is who I am. If I leave that behind now, when the world needs me most, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. You say that you love me, and not the Avatar, but the truth is, the Avatar is the best version of me, same as being the Flash does the same for you. Without that, I'll lose what makes me, me."

Barry smiled. "That's all I've ever wanted: for you to just be real. That's the person I fell in love with."

Korra gave him an adoringly amused look. "You're so _unbelievably_ sappy."

"And this surprises you somehow?"

"Not in the slightest."

Barry grunted as he sat upright, rising to his feet a moment later. "Good. Because that's never gonna change." He held out both hands to her.

Korra took them and let him pull her to her feet. "So…I guess we should refocus on stopping Kuvira, now that we're all on the same page."

"Considering the past couple of days, I think we deserve a bit of a break…but there'll be plenty of time to rest when this is all over." He ran a hand through his hair, glancing at a nearby clock. "I really slept in, didn't I?"

Korra smirked and crossed her arms. "Yeah, a _whole_ ten hours, all the way to nine o'clock." Her head shook. "Hyperactive busybody."

Barry grinned, the smile petering out as something rushed through his head. "You should probably get back home." He started to go red as he rubbed the back of his head. "Considering the uh, implications Tenzin's kids were making yesterday—"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the cat's already _way_ out of the bag on that one. But you're right."

She smirked and cupped his head with both hands to give him one last solid kiss, receiving a small, startled yelp in the process as Barry returned it. When they broke apart, Barry's eyes were a little glazed over, staring off blankly into the distance until Korra snapped her fingers in front of his face, vainly suppressing laughter. He blinked rapidly and smiled a little, yawning loudly a second later.

"Guess I still haven't quite shaken off the fatigue just yet."

Korra arched an eyebrow as she straightened out her clothes. "You gonna take another nap?"

"I might," he replied with a shrug. "I can't even _remember_ the last time I was as tired as I was yesterday. Probably before I got struck by lightning."

She rubbed his arm. "Get what you need, Bear. I can hold down the fort while you rest, really. You're no good to us burnt out."

He smiled and nodded. "I know. But I probably just need to shake it off. Maybe go for a morning run around the city."

Korra made for the door. "I'll see you later, then."

Another nod. "Of course. Love you."

She smiled and opened the exit. "I love you too."

About ten seconds of silent thought passed before Barry turned toward the staircase and made his way to his bedroom, passing a silently thinking Wu on his way up. The speedster arched an eyebrow.

 _Strange. I didn't think he_ could _be silent for more than ten seconds._

"Hey Barry."

Barry came to a halt halfway up the steps, groaning internally. _Spoke too soon._ He turned to the royal. "Yeah?"

Wu was looking up at him with surprisingly intense eyes. "How do you do it?"

The speedster faced him halfway, one hand on the rail. "Excuse me? Do what?"

He waved at the exit door vaguely. "Find a girl like that. And _keep_ her."

Barry's eyebrows shot skyward as he jabbed a finger into his chest. "You're asking _me_ for advice on girls?"

Wu shrugged. "Why not?"

Barry snorted. "Well, for one, I'm about as clueless as any other guy when it comes to how their minds work."

The prince looked confused, his hands pointing toward Barry and the door. "Then how did you—"

Barry held his hands up. "I have _no_ idea. There are some days I don't believe it myself. I guess…some people just…click, you know? It wasn't exactly easy for us, at first, but once we got past the initial stuff…I don't know, it became natural, I guess. It's not gonna be like that every time, believe me." He shrugged. "I guess we just got lucky."

Wu's head shook slowly. "Ah, the mysteries of the female mind."

Barry snorted. "Mystery is right." He turned to ascend the stairs again.

"Hey Barry."

Barry sighed and looked back at him. "Yeah?"

Wu twittled his thumbs, looking down. "I'm sorry I didn't think very much of you when we first met."

Barry stared at him.

"I didn't really know how important you were until now."

The speedster took a quick, nervous intake of breath. _If he listened in…_

"I mean, I know I haven't known her long, but…I've never seen the Avatar light up like she does when she's around you. There's like this…life that isn't there at any other time." Wu looked up at him. "She needs you."

Barry stared at him for a while, blinking several times and pinching himself hard. "Thanks?"

Wu grinned. "You're welcome." And then he went back to silently thinking.

Barry just stared a while longer, more rapid blinks and a shake of the head preceding his ascension to the second floor. He was halfway to his room when he passed by Asami's home office, catching movement in the corner of his eye. When he turned, a concerned feeling rose in his gut, and he immediately frowned as Asami exited her office, a distracted expression on her abnormally pale face.

He caught her arm. "Hey."

Asami took a sharp breath and looked up at him.

"You okay? Look like you just saw a ghost."

She huffed and carded a hand through her hair. "Yeah. More like _heard_ of one." She frowned. "Well…a magician, really."

Barry's eyes widened. " _The_ Magician?"

Asami nodded.

Barry shrugged. "What about him?"

Asami glanced back at her office, then back to him, a disturbed note to her tone. "I, uh…I got a call from Oliver, a few minutes ago." She gulped, shaking her head slightly. "He needed to tell me about something. Something that happened in Ba Sing Se, right before he and Korra were captured."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Okay?"

She took a deep breath. "Oliver fought the Magician again."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah. He lost, _again_ , but only, I think, because he hesitated."

Barry's head cocked. "Why would he hesitate?"

Her eyes slid shut as she rubbed her fingers over them. "Because, Bear…in the scuffle, he managed to unmask him."

"Why are _you_ hesitating?"

She looked up at him intensely. "Barry…it's Merlyn."

He stared back for a moment. "What?"

"Merlyn, Bear. _Al Sa-Her_ ,the Magician is Malcolm Merlyn."

Barry's jaw dropped to the floor. "Are you—" He ran a hand through his hair, voice dropping to a whisper as he started pacing. "I don't _believe_ this." He whirled toward her suddenly. "So, he's—"

"Been working for Kuvira from the beginning, not just as industrial and scientific support, but as her false-flag operative."

"He orchestrated those terrorist attacks two years ago to further vilify the nobles and help her consolidate power," Barry inferred.

She nodded. "What's worse, according to Oliver, he is the de facto head of the Dai Li."

"Which means he would've had all the resources he could ever need to kidnap, kill, and steal anything necessary to reinforce Kuvira's rule." He blinked and pointed at her with a new thought. "That's how he got a hold of the plans for the reverse speed engine. _He_ was the associate Kuvira mentioned. _And_ he broke Wade Eiling out of prison." He slapped his forehead. "That's how Kuvira found out about Cisco's abilities, knew to leverage him to lay the trap for me."

Another nod. "What's worse, he's had access, direct or indirect, to _all_ of my research since the beginning of our partnership two years ago."

Barry frowned. "From the look on your face, I'm guessing that's bad."

Asami chuckled humorlessly and shook her head. "Barry, the research we've shared with Merlyn Global may not be directly weaponizable, but it wouldn't take that much of a stretch to do it." She sighed hard and leaned against the railing of the staircase. "This is all my fault."

Barry shrugged in disbelief. "How?"

Asami sighed hard. "Barry, you already _know_ what happened to me after you vanished. Merlyn and his cronies had a full _year_ of virtually no overwatch to process and research ways to weaponize my tech."

"Hence the new and improved mecha suits. That doesn't explain why you're so worried. They're not _that_ hard to take down."

Her head shook. "No, Bear. The suits were all _Varrick's_ doing, and perfectly public knowledge. The research I shared with Merlyn pertained to vibrational science and sonic manipulation. Our tech was designed to map regions via sonar, intended for finding fault lines and predicting earthquakes."

"How exactly can that be bad?"

"Because, now that the Earth Empire's mastered spirit energy tech, he can repurpose that research to create something far more destructive."

Barry frowned. "What?"

Asami looked up at him. "I don't know. And that's what scares me." She sighed hard. "Oliver said he's been tracking some weird shipments moving in and out of the Earth Empire to Merlyn Global locations all over the continent, but most of them were sent to sites close to Ba Sing Se. Now that he knows who and what Merlyn is, his stress levels just skyrocketed, and so have mine."

He nodded slowly. "Okay…okay. When do we leave?"

Asami arched an eyebrow. "We?" A small chuckle. "Barry, _we_ are not going anywhere. I am."

Barry stared at her. "Excuse me?"

She straightened up and smoothed her clothes out. "Bear, this is a mission best performed _under_ the radar. Having the Flash tag along in the middle of the Earth Empire would attract far too much attention to be safe, and the last time you went up against Merlyn, you almost died."

"Okay, you have a point, but do you really think I'm comfortable with _you_ potentially going up against him alone?"

"I won't _be_ alone," she protested. "I'll have Oliver to back me up."

"Who's won against him a total of zero times."

She sighed hard. "Look, in all reality, we probably won't be anywhere near Merlyn himself. We just need to find out whether or not he's managed to weaponize my tech, and destroy any prototypes and research if that's the case."

Barry gave her a deadpan look. "Really? That's _all_ you need to do?"

Asami rolled her eyes. "I'm not helpless, you know. I went up against the _Reverse-Flash_ and lived. Twice."

"Yeah, and each time, you had a cluster of metahumans backing you up." His head shook. "I don't like this, sis."

She sighed and grabbed his hands. "I know you don't, but you're needed here. Look, Bear, I don't know what Kuvira's planning to do next, but this is _your_ city, and it needs you to look after it. I won't be leaving immediately—too many preparations to make—but when the time comes, I need to go alone."

Barry's lips pursed tightly. "Fine. I don't like this one bit, but as long as Oliver's with you…I'm okay." He held a finger up. "But—at the first sign of things heading south—"

"You are absolutely the first person I'll call," Asami interrupted with a nod.

He nodded back and pulled her into a hug. "I love you."

She gently rubbed his back. "Love you too, Bear."

…

Air Temple Island

A small smile adorned Korra's face as she remotely earthbent several stone tiles into the air, one after the other, providing targets for Naga to jump onto as the Avatar lounged on a set of stairs. This kept up for several minutes until she saw Opal approaching from the far side of the courtyard, a glum expression on her face. Korra stopped and strode over to find her staring at the ground, arms crossed.

"Everything okay?"

Opal turned partway away from her. "No. Kuvira has my family, and no one seems to care but me."

"We _all_ care," Korra said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry; we'll get them back safely."

A sudden gust of air attracted their attention to the sky, where Jinora descended on her wingsuit and landed with a somersault. The suit closed down as she ran toward them.

"Guys, there you are!" She slid to a stop in front of them. "I just felt a weird surge of spiritual energy coming from the Spirit Wilds."

Both of the other girls frowned.

"Something's wrong."

Together, the trio made their way to the location in question, striding through the vine-overrun terrain of the wilds, ruined buildings and streets surrounding them on every side.

"Are you sure you felt a disturbance?" Opal asked after a while. "Maybe you just had some bad food for breakfast."

"I'm telling you," Jinora responded, "I _felt_ it. Maybe something happened to Ryu's tour group. We _should've_ run into them by now."

Korra blinked as she briefly reviewed what she'd been told about the "new" airbender. First time they'd met, he'd been living in his parents' basement, and the last time? He'd been at Jinora's ceremony almost three years ago. Truth was, the kid had never struck her as the type to take on much responsibility.

"Yeah," Korra agreed, "but…it's _Ryu_." She shrugged. "They might be at the _mall_ for all we know."

"Korra," Jinora chided, "can't you feel how strange the energy is?"

"No," she replied with a frown, turning toward a nearby vine, "but…maybe I can get a reading."

Korra reached out and closed her eyes, touching the vine and activating her new abilities. Her vision was briefly clouded over with light before erupting into a horrifying display: dozens upon dozens of Earth Empire mecha suits, all cutting away pieces of the roots and vines of the banyon-grove tree. She withdrew with a gasp seconds later.

"Korra," Opal said, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder, "what is it? Are you okay?"

She turned to them. "It was Kuvira. I saw her taking vines from the swamp. It must be affecting our Spirit Wilds. I bet that's what you were sensing, Jinora."

The airbender frowned. "Why would she be taking vines?"

"Whatever the reason, I'm sure it's not good."

"We have to tell Raiko," Opal said. "This might help them convince the other leaders to _finally_ take her down."

"I'll keep looking for Ryu and the others," Jinora added.

They split in separate directions, Opal and Korra heading straight for City Hall as a new sense of urgency filled the air.

…

8 minutes later

City Hall

Lin frowned in concentration at the proceedings laid out before her, the table in the building's conference room supporting four chairs with the corresponding leaders of the Air Nation, Fire Nation, United Republic, and Earth Kingdom sitting in them. Nearby, within sight of Prince Wu, Detective Mako stood guard.

"I say we deal with this Kuvira situation immediately," Raiko said.

"Yes!" Wu replied enthusiastically. "Agreed! And I know just how to get rid of her. We tell her she won an all-expense-paid vacation to a tropical island. Then when she gets there, we reveal it as a trap—the island's a prison." He slapped his hands on the table in conclusion. "Boom! Got her!"

Lin had to restrain an audible groan and facepalm as Tenzin arched an eyebrow at the royal.

Wu backed up with a chuckle. "Or, okay, uh, I'm just spitballin' here. We march in with a highly trained badgermoles!"

On Lin's right, the Fire Lord narrowed her eyes at the prince, and the chief herself was uselessly holding back a twitch of her left eyebrow.

The prince started to deflate—just slightly. "Do we know if Kuvira has any allergies?"

Raiko placed his hands on the table with a mildly exasperated air. "Look, I think we all know what must be done. We take the fight to her."

Tenzin frowned. "I don't believe attacking is the right move, since she hasn't done anything aggressive toward the United Republic."

"Not _yet_ ," Lin interrupted. "But Kuvira can't be trusted. She told us that she was going to turn over power, and she didn't. I'm with Raiko. I say we go on the offensive and start by retaking Zaofu."

Lin's vision snapped toward the door when it opened with a click, admitting Avatar Korra and Opal.

"President Raiko," Korra called out, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but—" she stopped short, eyebrows furrowed, "—what's going on here?"

Wu turned toward her and leaned back with a suave grin. "Oh, hey, Avatar Korra. Just kickin' it world leader style, trying to figure out what to do about Kuvira." He pointed a finger upward. "For the record, I told Raiko he should've invited you."

Korra also adopted an eye-twitch as her expression turned visibly annoyed. "You invited _him_ but not me?" she asked, sending a pointed wave at Wu.

"Please, Korra," Tenzin said in a calming voice, "it's not personal. We just thought perhaps we called you back into action a little too soon."

Her eyes narrowed as she placed her hands on her hips. "Again—him, not me?"

Raiko stood up suddenly. "Korra, we're in the middle of a meeting, and we can't have people just barge in whenever they want!"

Lin's green eyes widened when two more figures sprinted in behind the newcomers.

"Guys!" shouted a winded Bolin as he and Varrick slid to a stop just inside the conference room. "Oh, perfect! You're all here!"

Bolin bent over double as half the room collapsed into stunned silence.

"Bolin?" Opal and Mako asked in tandem tones of surprise.

Korra grinned ear-to-ear.

Raiko's response was less than enthusiastic. "What are _you_ doing here?! Guards, remove these traitors!"

Both Earth Empire consultants were seized by guards and dragged out, Bolin protesting the whole way.

"No! We escaped Kuvira's army! We're back on your side now!" In a last-ditch attempt, he yelled out, "We have top secret information for you!"

The guards—along with everyone else in the room—froze briefly. Raiko's lips pursed briefly before he nodded to them. Bolin and Varrick were released a moment later, the latter smoothing out his clothes.

"Okay," Varrick muttered, "I guess we should've opened with that line."

"Listen to me," Bolin said. "Kuvira is making this thing that goes—" He cut off abruptly, sounding out a large explosion. "I don't know how it works, but it has this—"

Varrick cut him off with a hand on his shoulder. "It's a super weapon! Like a regular weapon, only super!"

Korra frowned. "And let me guess—it has something to do with spirit vines."

Varrick looked toward her abruptly. "Yes! How did you know?"

Korra turned toward the council. "I saw a vision of her taking spirit vines from the Swamp."

"If she figures out how to harness their power," Varrick continued, "we are _all_ doomed."

"She might use the weapon to attack Republic City," Raiko said. "The only way to protect ourselves—" he jabbed a finger into the table for emphasis, "—is with a preemptive strike."

Tenzin frowned at the idea. "My airbenders _won't_ be part of an unprovoked attack."

Fire Lord Izumi stood regally. "Neither will the Fire Nation."

"But, Fire Lord Izumi," Raiko protested, "Kuvira is a threat to the _world_. She has to be stopped!"

"The Fire Nation has spent too much of its history fighting nonsense wars, and I refuse to drag my nation into another one unless there's no other choice. If you attack Kuvira, you will do it _without_ my army."

Raiko sighed and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Fine. I'll hold off any plans of attack. We'll go on the defensive and fortify security on the borders."

"In that," she replied, "you'll have my help."

Lin sighed internally, conceding the wisdom in the decision even if she didn't agree. Her eyes turned toward her niece as the girl tensely stormed out the front door, Bolin running to catch up with her. The chief followed.

"Opal, wait!" Bolin shouted, stopping in front of Opal to block her path. "Please. I just want to say that I'm sorry for… _everything_."

Opal crossed her arms with a stern look. "I'm glad you're okay," she admitted, "but it's a little late for sorry."

"I know, I know! I didn't listen to you and I sided with Kuvira and I helped her take over the Earth Kingdom and toppled your home and get your mom captured and your brothers and your dad—" He cut off abruptly as the full force of his rant hit him like a ton of bricks. "Wow, that does sound really bad when I say it out loud like that…but I'm gonna make it up to you."

Lin chose this moment to step in. "Pardon me, lovebirds, but I need a word with Opal."

Bolin attempted to follow.

Lin stopped him with a hand. "Privately."

The two Beifongs strode some distance away, standing close to each other.

"I'm sorry, kid," Lin told her niece, "but Raiko couldn't convince the other leaders to attack Kuvira."

Opal frowned. "So, our family—"

"Looks like we're going to have to save them ourselves."

Opal held her arms out to the side. "Don't you think some other people would agree to go with us?"

Lin frowned. "This is an unsanctioned and dangerous mission into enemy territory. We can't ask other people to risk their necks for our family. If we want to break them out, we'll have to do it alone."

Opal agreed with a silent nod, eventually turning away to fly toward Air Temple Island on her wingsuit.

The chief stayed behind and gave a sideways look to one of the pillars. "It's not polite to eavesdrop on a private conversation."

An ungraceful snort preceded the appearance of Barry's form from around the side of the pillar as he stepped into view. "Yeah, sure, Mom."

Her arms crossed as she arched an eyebrow at him. "And what exactly are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work, doing your job?"

He crossed his arms right back at her. "Protecting Republic City _is_ my job, so I'm pretty sure I have every right to be here."

She frowned. "Then I take it you overheard what happened in there."

Barry nodded. " _And_ I may have overheard a thing or two about an—" he made air quotes, "'unsanctioned and dangerous' operation."

Lin gave him a narrow-eyed look. "Your point?"

He just shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I'm just wondering if you were planning on including the _whole_ family in this little rescue mission."

She stared at him blankly for a moment, blinking a few times. "I'll admit, the thought hadn't crossed my mind."

"And why not?"

"Because you're needed here," she answered with a wave at her surroundings. "Republic City is your responsibility."

He waved dismissively. "They have plenty of protectors as-is, and I won't _always_ be here to watch over this place." His expression hardened. "That and…it's ultimately my fault the other Beifongs are sitting in chains right now."

Lin's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Barry winced. "The day Zaofu fell, I could've run them all out of the city, right out from under Kuvira's nose. Instead, I chose to go after her, and missed my window of opportunity." His hands tightened to fists at his sides as he looked down. "I left them behind because I was so focused on getting revenge for Korra that I forgot what was really important."

Lin sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If it's any consolation, I might've done the same thing."

He shrugged. "It isn't." A small smile tugged at his lips. "But thanks." A long silence passed before Barry spoke again, arms crossed. "So it's settled then."

She arched an eyebrow. "What is?"

"I'm coming to help you spring them."

Lin sighed again. "Barry—"

"I'm not takin' no for an answer, and if that weapon Varrick and Bolin were talking about is as serious as they claim, it'll be useful to have someone on hand that could potentially outrun an explosion of that magnitude."

The chief gave him a hard, long stare before finally relenting. "Fine. But it'll take some time to prepare, so get back to work."

He grinned from ear to ear. "You got it, Chief."

Taking a quick glance around, Barry looked behind Lin as she turned as well to see Korra, Mako, and Bolin reuniting in a group hug. Lin briefly stared at the sight before turning back to the speedster. Whatever she was going to say never left her mouth, because he was already gone.

…

Minutes later, Korra and Mako were standing on the steps of City Hall when a sudden burst of blue light erupted in front of them, coalescing into Jinora's floating form a moment later.

"Korra, the vines!" she shouted. "They're _taking_ me! Help!"

The vision flickered out seconds later, and Korra gaped at the sight, turning to exchange a worried look with Mako.

"Do we call the Flash?" Mako asked.

Korra frowned. "If Jinora can no longer project her spirit to communicate, I doubt this is something even _he_ can help with."

The detective nodded, and together they made for a vehicle to get to the Spirit Wilds. Minutes later, they arrived to see Chief Beifong directing police and civilians alike, just outside the entrance of the Wilds.

"Get everyone out of here! Put up a perimeter!"

A group of patrolmen peeled off from the main group as Korra and Mako approached Lin from behind.

"Cancel all tours! Somebody get a hold of Tenzin!"

Korra glanced from Lin to the entrance and back. "We gotta get in there and find Jinora."

Lin frowned at her. "I don't think _anyone_ should be going in there right now."

Korra frowned back. "I know I'm not the old Avatar I used to be, but I can _do_ this."

Before either of them could speak, a giant vine snaked out and snapped toward them, swinging wildly several times before retreating into the Wilds. The trio stared into the mess of tangled green for a few moments before Lin turned to Korra.

"Be _careful_."

A minute later, Korra and Mako were trekking through the heavily shadowed Spirit Wilds, a thick canopy of vines creating the unnatural darkness.

"Jinora!" Korra called out, unease stirring in her gut like a boiling cauldron.

"Hello," Mako shouted, "anyone?"

They both came to a sudden stop as Mako turned to one side.

"Wait…do you hear that?"

A quiet but steadily increasing noise of slippery movement reached Korra's ears as she faced the window of a nearby building. The window shattered a moment later, and they both snapped into action as three vines assaulted them from different angles. High-velocity air and fire filled the air as they withdrew step by step, Mako shouting as he was yanked off his feet. Korra snapped several fire strikes at the grasping appendage, one arc slicing through the vine and freeing her firebending comrade. She took one look at a cluster of vines that had joined the original three.

 _Nope,_ she decided mentally, turning heel and running.

"Come on!" Korra shouted at Mako.

An earthbending maneuver blew a hole through a nearby ruined building, permitting them entry as Mako covered her back. Korra slammed the door in the vines' faces with another earthbending trick, sealing the wall. A second or two of breathing lasted before they both became aware of a sickly green light emanating from behind them. Mako was the first to comment.

"Korra, look. What _are_ those?"

They approached with a wary air, Korra looking up into over a dozen large, translucent green orbs bearing dark shapes in their interiors, all contained in a giant, tree-like structure. The Avatar and detective came to a stop within arm's reach of them, the former reaching out to place her hand against one. It lit up from within, revealing a familiar form curled in fetal position.

Korra's eyes widened slightly, tone going tense. "It's Jinora and the rest of them. Their spirits are trapped in the Spirit World."

Mako cocked back a hand and lit a fire under his hand like a knife. "Let's get them out."

Korra whipped around and put a hand on his arm to stop him. "Don't! You'll provoke the vines." She turned back to the orbs. "Let me try."

With a deep breath, her hands curled in a familiar waterbending motion, liquid from below the "tree" flowing up to arc around it in opposing spiral motions. The water began to glow as the pattern completed, filling the air with equal parts light and tension as Korra's eyes closed and she focused hard. This lasted for several seconds before she realized it was like hammering against a brick wall barehanded.

Korra sighed hard. "They won't open. Maybe if I meditate into the Spirit World, I can free them."

She sat down in lotus position and pressed her closed fists together, knuckle to knuckle. A familiar change came over her, and her eyes opened a second later, glancing around. Unease began to fill her system as recognition dawned on her.

"Wait…this isn't the Spirit World."

A strong gust of wind came from behind, and she turned around only to freeze at the sight of a familiar tan-robed figure—hovering twenty feet above her with absolutely nothing supporting him.

Her eyes went wide. "Zaheer—no!"

The hostile airbender snarled and cast a powerful ball of compressed air at her, catapulting her across the platform of a gigantic earth pillar she was on. She rolled across it with a yell, sliding to a stop right at the edge. The Avatar leapt to her feet and threw a single fire punch before collapsing to one knee at the massive pain in her casting arm.

"You can't fight me _and_ the poison!" Zaheer shouted at her.

"No," she muttered, looking up at him, "I got it _out_!"

"You'll _never_ get it out!"

He immediately began to move his arms in spirals, the old familiar move that had haunted her dreams for three years returning once more as a ball of fast-moving air formed around her head, forcibly sucking the air from her lungs. As suddenly as it had started, it ended, and her vision flashed white as she returned to reality.

"Korra!"

She felt hands on her sweat-stained arms a second later.

"What's wrong?!"

Korra took several heavy breaths. "It's Zaheer."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's been haunting me ever since I fought him." She straightened up partway. "I can't get _any_ peace. It's like he's…blocking me from meditating into the Spirit World."

Mako helped her to her feet. "I'm here for you. What do you need?"

Korra frowned. "I have a request to make of Tenzin…and he's not gonna like it."

…

10 minutes later

RCPD HQ

"She wants to do _what_?!"

Lin sighed hard on the other side of her desk. "Korra asked Tenzin to allow her access to Zaheer, as a way to remove her fear of him once and for all. She's heading there right now. I just thought you should know."

Barry's fists were clenched at his sides as he paced back and forth in her office, face twisted into a scowl. He came to a sudden stop, staring intensely into the distance. The speedster snapped to her suddenly. "Stall her."

Lin arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I said _stall_ her, by any way you can." He made for the door. "I need to do something first."

He didn't wait for her to agree, just took off out the door and fell into a sprint. He touched his ring and deployed his suit mid-run, donning it in the space of about two seconds as he sped toward the mountains near Republic City. Barry reached the location of the prison minutes later, perching himself on a nearby peak as he scoped out the guards. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, mentally reviewing the layout of Thawne's prison in the South Pole. He'd never been here before, but considering the similar levels of danger between the two metahumans, he assumed their prisons would also be similarly laid out.

With that thought in mind, and the floorplan of Thawne's prison in his head, the Flash's eyes snapped open and focused on the entrance below him intensely. He took a runner's stance and began to vibrate every molecule in his body, getting up to phasing speed and taking off a moment later. The guards didn't even notice him when he sped past and phased through two solid metal walls to come to a stop just inside the second. He'd been wrong about the layout, but that thought had barely a split-second in his head before everything in him blanked out. Everything, that is, except the robed felon hovering midair just thirty feet away.

Barry Allen took a long, deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fists, settling on clenching as he took the first step toward Zaheer. He strode toward him with firm, measured steps, stopping just six feet from the imprisoned airbender, who was meditating rather intently. A few moments passed before Zaheer's cold, steel-gray eyes slid open, a flicker of surprise in them as he registered the Flash's presence. Barry stared back at him, right fist tightening even more as the silence dragged on.

"You know who I am?"

Zaheer simply nodded slightly.

"You know what I can do?"

Another nod.

With a brief clench of his jaw and a deep, solid breath, Barry made a sudden—and perhaps rash—decision. Two red-gloved hands reached up, thumbs hooking under the eye frames of the cowl and peeling the entire hood-like component back to reveal his cold, hard features. Zaheer's eyes widened slightly.

"Do you know who _I_ am?" he asked again, now that his face was revealed.

Zaheer took a breath as his lips parted. "I can't say that I do." A smirk. "I don't exactly get television in here."

Barry snorted and flashed a brief and nasty smile. "Funny. My name…is Barry Allen."

The captive airbender's features shifted, his smug expression dropping to a blank one almost instantly.

Barry smirked a little. " _Now_ do you recognize me?"

Zaheer tilted his head partway down, looking at Barry through half-lidded eyes. "I know the name. You are…close with the Avatar."

The speedster shook his head slowly as he approached the prisoner. "'Close' doesn't really begin to describe it." He got all the way up in his face, the airbender's blank expression remaining unchanged despite the proximity. "I _love_ her. And she loves me." Barry's eyes narrowed. "You remember what that's like, don't you?"

A muscle briefly twitched in Zaheer's jaw as he nodded slightly.

Barry drew back a few steps and started pacing back and forth. "Well, with that being said, I'll tell you in advance that Korra's coming here to see you, right now." He turned his head to face Zaheer. "I'm not happy about that decision, even if her reasons are solid." He turned the rest of his body to square off with him. "Because I know that even imprisoned and in chains, you're dangerous—which is why I'm here."

Zaheer smirked. "You're here to protect your love from big bad me."

Barry smirked right on back, an outright venomous look in his eyes. "No," he replied with a shrug. "I'm here to threaten you."

Instantly, Zaheer gasped as golden lightning briefly flashed through his field of vision, a strong hand gripping the back of his robes to keep him still. His gray eyes drifted down to Barry's scowling expression, the blurred form of his vibrating right arm in Zaheer's peripheral.

With half of it buried in his chest.

"Just so we're clear," Barry hissed, "if I find out that you tried anything, _anything_ at all to harm her—I will _end_ you in the most painful ways you can imagine."

Zaheer took several shaky breaths. "And here—I thought the Flash didn't kill."

"I don't," he replied in a near-growl, "but I am _more_ than willing to make an exception for you." Barry got up in his face again. "Look at me. Look in my eyes. _You've_ known true love before, so you tell me— _tell_ me just how far I'm willing to go."

Zaheer followed his advice and let his gaze flicker from one ice-blue orb to the other, lips parted slightly as he kept taking shaky breaths. "As far as necessary."

Barry nodded slowly, carefully pulling his arm back and letting it come to a stop at his side as he released a coughing Zaheer. "Glad we're on the same page."

To Barry's surprise, the airbender smirked. "Ah, to be young again." His eyes closed briefly before opening to stare into nothingness, almost wistfully. His gaze eventually turned back to Barry. "You've been given a rare and priceless gift, Barry Allen." His tone and expression hardened. "See that you never squander or take it for granted."

Barry smirked sardonically. "I don't need advice from a murderer." His features softened slightly. "But yeah…I don't intend to."

Zaheer gave him a slow, respectful nod as he pulled his cowl back on.

The Flash was gone moments later, having phased right through the mountainside just moments before the door to Zaheer's cell slid open.

…

1 hour later

Air Temple Island

Opal frowned and gave Barry a sideways look before turning to Lin, who was sitting astride Opal's bison.

"Is there a reason we're bringing him along?" she asked suddenly.

Lin and Barry gave her a long stare, exchanging a look between them.

"I mean," Opal continued, "it's not that I'm complaining. I'm not, really. Between Kuvira and enemy territory and having five people to retrieve, we're gonna need all the help we can get. It's just…" Opal shifted her gaze to Lin, "before, you said that we couldn't ask anyone else to risk their lives for us, that this was a mission for family. So why is _he_ here?"

Barry tensed up, absently toying with the ring on his right hand. He opened his mouth to answer when Lin cut him off.

"Because…as Barry very _aptly_ reminded me…" Lin sent him a sideways look, something in her eyes going soft. "He _is_ family." She turned back to Opal. "He's _my_ family."

Opal's eyes went wide as Barry gaped outright, both stunned into silence until seconds later, footsteps approached from behind her. They turned to face Bolin as he slid to a stop some distance away from the bison.

"Where are you going?" he asked them, a desperate note to his tone.

Opal turned her head to look back at him. "We've got some family business to take care of."

She turned back to the bison and away from him as a suddenly embarrassed Barry half-hid behind the creature's large form.

Bolin's face fell slightly, hands clasping together as he plowed ahead. "All right, listen, before you go, I just want to tell you that I understand how you feel. I know there's nothing I could do or no big gesture that can make up for all my mistakes, but…that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop trying to win you back, because…" he took a long breath, looking down, then up at her, "I love you."

Opal looked back at him, then toward the saddle, hiding her face from his view. "Thanks…for saying all of that."

When she said nothing else, Bolin slumped partway over, completely crestfallen.

"You know—"

He stopped in his tracks.

"—there _is_ one thing you could do to win me back."

Immediately, Bolin's face lit up enthusiastically. "What is it?! Yes! I'll do _anything_!"

Opal turned to face him completely. "Come on a secret mission with us."

"Where to?"

"Zaofu. We're _going_ to rescue my family." She looked up at Lin. " _Our_ family."

Bolin's replying expression was the very picture of stoic determination.

* * *

AN: Okay, so...a few updates. One, every chapter to the end is 100% _done_. I will be releasing a chapter a day once each currently published and most recent chapter is reviewed at least once. I _hate_ to farm for reviews like this, but these last entries are so critical to the climax of the story that I absolutely _need_ feedback on them. How fast I release chapters is entirely up to you. I get all the reviews, you'll have the rest of the story in no time. I'm that serious. Now, on to the actual notes.

Not much to say about this chapter. Kind of the calm before the storm. I guess I will say that next chapter will probably contain the beginning of a whole lot of changes, subtle at first, and then a whole cluster of 'em. I also may or may not focus on one viewpoint per chapter, depending on how this goes. I don't know. Now that we're reaching the climax of Book Four, everything's getting all complicated in my head, going all FUBAR on me. I think I need to re-watch those last episodes, just so I can solidify the sequence of events in my head.

Anyway, I hope you're still enjoying this. Heavy sap in this chapter, but given how last chapter ended—and the circumstances of the episode this covers—I think it's appropriate.

As always, _oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	48. Peacemaker

Peacemaker (n.): a person who brings about peace, especially by reconciling adversaries.

1 hour earlier

White Lotus prison near Republic City

2 years, 7 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Korra stared at him for several seconds, resisting the urge to clench her fists as he remained floating in chains, eyes closed.

"So…you must really be in trouble if you came all the way down here to see me."

Korra's eyes narrowed, tone sharpening. "I came here to look you in the eye and tell you that you have no power over me. I will no longer be scared of you."

Zaheer's eyes snapped open, glaring at her, and he suddenly lunged forward, speeding toward her menacingly. Immediately, Korra reacted, backpedaling as terror surged through her system. He came to a stop when his chains snapped taut just a few feet from her.

The airbender grinned and laughed heartily as he landed. "I guess it didn't work. You still seem scared."

Her head shook slowly, eyes wide as she slowly backed away. "This was a mistake." She turned toward the door, fear driving her steps.

"I know why you're here!"

She stopped and turned to face him. "You don't know anything about me!"

His head cocked to one side. "You can't go into the Spirit World. I spend most of my time in the Spirit World, and it's well-known that the Avatar's spirit hasn't been there for a few years."

Korra arched a disbelieving eyebrow. " _You_ can meditate into the Spirit World from here?" She glanced around with a frown. "Doesn't feel very spiritually charged."

"This is your problem. Republic City is flowing with spiritual energy, and you can't even tap into it."

She snarled at him. "No, my problem—" she pointed at him accusingly, "—is _you_. You poisoned me! You _ruined_ me! People used to think I was unstoppable, but now they don't think I'm capable of anything!"

Zaheer snorted derisively. "Blaming me is a crutch to make you feel better, but it's not helping you recover."

Korra's fury began to fade as her voice shook, eyes downcast. "I thought seeing you face-to-face would put an end to all of this, but maybe it's time I realize I'll never be the same."

Zaheer turned away from her. "Neither of us are the same as before. I learned to fly, but now I'm bound in chains. You have all the power in the World and the freedom to use it, but you choose to hold yourself down."

She cast him a look. "I'm not holding myself down, but my powers have limits."

He turned back to face her. "You're wrong." His brows knitted. "That poison should've _killed_ you, but you were able to fight it off. You think your power has limits; I say it's _limitless_."

Korra snorted and stared at the ground. "Whatever. Before, you were always talking about chaos and freedom." She looked back up at him. "Then you took out the Earth Queen and created the worst dictator the Earth Kingdom has ever seen. Thanks for that."

Zaheer's eyes widened in shock. "I've heard rumors about her, but I didn't know she achieved so much power. She needs to be stopped."

Korra shrugged. "Well, I can't stop her unless I get over this block."

Zaheer's fists tightened as his tone hardened. "I think I can help. Let me lead you into the Spirit World."

She stared at him. "No way." She looked off to the side. "I can't trust you."

"Maybe not. But if you had any other options, you wouldn't be here now, would you? We may have been enemies once, but for now, our interests align."

Korra returned her eyes to him as he floated again, legs crossed.

 _Just like Thawne._

She looked back down. "I've come this far. What have I got to lose?" Korra sat and took a sharp breath, crossing her legs and closing her eyes.

"Focus on the sound of my voice, and clear your mind."

Korra did so, feeling something in her surroundings begin to shift—or was it in her? Almost immediately, the flashbacks erupted behind her eyelids, a blast of air pinning her to the ground before encasing her head in a swirling vacuum. She gasped and felt panic rise in her again.

"Let it play out," Zaheer said.

She grit her teeth. "I can't!"

"You _can_."

The vision shifted to the vortex, of her falling through it.

"Accept what happened to you. Don't fear what _might've_ been."

"I have no control!"

"Don't be afraid. Hold on!"

She fell and fell and fell, falling toward the ground and slamming through the rocks below, forming a massive crater that sent large chunks of stone flying into the air. Slowly but surely, those chunks morphed into something else entirely—an entire cluster of floating spirits. As she opened her eyes, the familiar rush of transcendence flowed through her, and a smile broke over her features as she recognized her surroundings.

"I made it," said Korra, looking off to one side, then forward to see Zaheer standing in front of her. "And _you_ led me here." She stood up. "Do you know where Jinora and the others are?"

He frowned. "No. But _you_ do."

Within the space of a second, he faded from existence, and a blinding light began to emanate from her chest. Straightening up fully, Korra sensed a familiar presence and smiled widely.

"Raava…I missed you. Where have you been?"

"I have _always_ been inside of you," the spirit answered.

"Can you help me find Jinora?"

In answer, the world around her began to rush past at a blinding speed, taking her into a darkened forest where a glowing green orb lay. Inside were the spirits of all the missing people, Jinora and Ryu easily visible through its glassy surface.

Korra frowned. "How do I release their spirits?"

"You must bend the energy within."

She looked down at her hands. "But I'm _powerless_ in the Spirit World."

"No," Raava corrected, "you're _most_ powerful here. In the Spirit World, you're connected to all the spiritual energy."

Korra returned her gaze to the orb, her jaw setting in determination as she strode up to it and reached out with her left hand. Her palm pressed against the surface of the ball as she concentrated, focusing her chi and finding the familiar spark of energy on the other side. Her eyes snapped open, glowing brightly, and the orb flared with light moments before disintegrating and releasing its contents into the air. One by one, the captive spirits vanished, returning to their bodies, and Korra grinned from ear to ear. A brief moment of focus was enough to return her spirit to her body on the physical plane.

Her cerulean eyes snapped open to see Zaheer floating cross-legged in his initial position, smiling with his eyes closed. The Avatar frowned a little and stood upright as she stared at him for a while.

"Zaheer."

His gray eyes opened to look at her.

"What you did to me…it broke me, in ways I never thought were possible." Korra looked down. "But…at the same time, it set in motion a chain of events that couldn't possibly have happened otherwise. I made new friends, gained new insights, and…" her eyes glassed over as she smiled, "I fell in _love_." Her hands tightened to fists as she looked up at him. "I spent… _so_ long being angry over what I lost that day that I never stopped to think about what I gained. You destroyed everything I was, everything I thought I could be, and in spite—or perhaps _because_ —of that, I gained the opportunity to reinvent myself.

"My boyfriend's father once said that everything happens for a reason. I've been thinking about what's happened to me a lot lately, and now, looking back on the events of the past four years…" she smiled, "I don't know that I'd change a thing." She sighed and looked down again. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…" her eyes returned to him, "I forgive you." Her head shook slowly. "No. Thank you."

They parted without another word, and about a minute later, she and Mako were exiting the prison.

"So," said the detective, "how are you doing?"

Korra thought for a moment. "I feel… _whole_ again. I feel good."

They came to a stop, Mako staring at her back. "Do you think you're finally able to forget about what Zaheer did to you?"

Korra frowned. "No," she answered, turning toward him with a smile, "but I _am_ finally able to accept what happened, and I think that's gonna make me stronger."

Mako smiled. "Good. We're gonna _need_ that strength before this is all over."

She frowned and turned back toward the city. "I know. I have a really bad feeling about this."

…

Next day

Outskirts of Zaofu

Opal frowned as she stared at Juicy for a few moments, then turned back to Lin, who was gazing down the shaft of a spyglass.

"Where's Barry?"

The chief glanced back at her niece. "He's fast enough to travel all the way across the continent in a matter of minutes. Since I have a long-range earpiece capable of calling him at this distance, we both agreed that he should stay in Republic City until we're ready to make a move. It'll give him more time to ready their defenses."

Opal nodded her agreement as her aunt turned back to Zaofu.

"She's got a whole _battalion_ of troops stationed there. There's no way we'll be able to spot anything useful from here." Lin let the spyglass fall from her eye, looking at Opal and Bolin. "We'll have to go in for a closer look."

"Don't bother," came a voice from behind.

All three whirled around to gape at the speaker.

"All the prisoners have been moved."

Lin stood up abruptly, nearly gaping at the sight of her aged mother standing just six feet away. "Uh…hey, Chief."

Toph faced her. "Hey, Chief."

Opal grinned and lunged toward the old woman with a hug. "Grandma Toph!"

Toph smiled. "You were only up to my waist the last time we were together."

Behind Lin, Bolin was busy squealing. "Oh man! Oh, I can't!"

Lin facepalmed as he started hopping haphazardly.

"This can't be happening!"

Toph arched an eyebrow at him. "What? Do you have to pee or something?"

His eyes widened. "No!" He glanced off to the side. "Well, now, maybe." His face erupted in a massive grin. "You're my hero! My name is Bolin; I'm dating your granddaughter—I mean, kind of. I may have screwed that up, but that's why I'm here—and you're my hero! Oh, I said that…can I have a hug too?"

Toph just stared. "What's up with him?"

Lin deadpanned. "He's an actor. So, you already checked the city for Su?" She frowned. "How did you know she was captured?"

"I've been living in the Swamp and keeping watch on Zaofu through the vines."

Bolin stared. "Sure, okay, makes sense."

Lin glanced at him. "Cisco can do something similar, though he doesn't need the vines to make it work."

Toph ignored them both. "By the time I got here, they were gone. I snooped around town and heard that they were taken away to some nearby _prison_ camp."

Opal sent Bolin a glare. "Where would _that_ be?"

Bolin's face fell. "There's a factory and reeducation facility not too far away."

Toph arched an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

Opal frowned more. "Bolin used to work for Kuvira."

Toph sent her granddaughter a disapproving look. "How did you end up dating the kind of dipstick who works for Kuvira?"

"Used to!" Bolin protested.

Lin sighed and started walking away. "It's not his silver tongue, I can tell you that."

As one, the Beifongs all began walking toward the bison, leaving a crestfallen Bolin.

" _Please_ tell me this attitude isn't hereditary."

…

City Hall, Republic City

"The borders are secure, and troops are guarding the rail lines into the city." Raiko looked between Asami and Varrick. "So, what have you two geniuses come up with to fend off Kuvira?"

Varrick enthusiastically waved his arms at a blueprint held up by Asami, nearly smacking her face in the process. "It's a flying mecha-suit! Asami got the idea from watching dragonfly-hummingbirds. You can take off straight up, fly in any direction."

Raiko leaned forward and squinted at the picture. "Where does the spirit ray come out?"

Everyone else in the room, namely Korra, Mako, Varrick, Asami, Wu, and—strangely enough—the Flash, frowned at once.

"It doesn't have a spirit ray," Varrick answered with more expressive gesture. "I'm telling you what I told Kuvira: That technology should _not_ be used."

Raiko scowled and stood up, slamming his hands on his desk. "It's _already_ being used, by Kuvira! I need spirit vine weapons, and I need them _now_!"

Korra's jaw tightened as she stared at him. "No. It was Kuvira's harvesting of the vines in the Swamp that caused the Republic City vines to go crazy and grab all those people. Small samples are good and well—Future Industries already uses them to power some of its higher-demanding products—but the weapons you're asking for will demand entirely too much."

Raiko arched an eyebrow. "You're supposed to be the bridge between the two worlds. Why can't you harvest the vines?"

Korra frowned as a thought occurred to her. "I won't do that, but maybe since the spirits love Republic City so much, I can convince them to help us defend it somehow."

Raiko grunted with a nod.

"Okay," Wu said from behind the line of other attendees as he pushed his way to the front, "maybe while the weapon geniuses—" he pointed at Asami and Varrick, "—and the spirit bridge—" he motioned to Korra, "—are getting ready for battle, _we_ should be evacuating the ordinary citizens so that if Kuvira attacks, they won't be hurt."

Raiko stared at him half in shock. "That's…actually a good idea. Prince Wu, you work with the police to coordinate getting people out of the city. Now, everyone get to it! I want daily updates!"

They all bowed and turned to leave, filing out of the room one by one, but Raiko cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, Flash? Stay a moment."

Barry exchanged a look with Korra, then turned to the president as the rest of them exited. "Sir?"

Raiko sighed and glanced down at his desk before looking up at him. "Look…I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye, even found ourselves at odds from time to time, but…I know now that no matter what, you will do your utmost to defend Republic City."

The Flash nodded in confirmation.

"That said, I don't believe this is a threat that you alone can confront, not even with the Avatar and our military backing you. If what Ms. Sato reported about General Eiling working for Kuvira is true, then conventional methods won't be enough to protect us."

The speedster's eyes narrowed. "What's your point, sir?"

Raiko's lips pursed. "I assume you know…others, like yourself."

"Other metahumans," Barry supplied.

He nodded. "I want you to contact them and recruit as many as you can for the defense of Republic City. With enough of them working in concert, we'll have a substantial force that even _Kuvira_ will think twice about confronting."

The Flash crossed his arms defensively. "You know, you're beginning to sound a _lot_ like Wade Eiling."

Raiko sighed and threw his hands up. "Well, if you'd like to have to tackle an entire army _and_ a superweapon all by yourself, then by all means."

He sighed and held his hands up. "Yeah, I get it. Fine. I'll contact them."

" _Thank_ you," Raiko replied in an exasperated tone, slumping back into his seat.

The Flash made for the door, but paused in its frame. "Sir?"

He grunted in reply.

Barry looked back at him. "I want you to know that I do think you're a good man. You've just made some rotten decisions."

Raiko's lips pursed. "Everyone does. It's human nature."

Barry nodded slowly, then exited without another word, exhaling hard.

"Hey."

He turned and smiled at Korra, who was keeping a professional distance since he was still in uniform. "Hey. So, spirit ambassador, huh?"

Korra smirked and crossed her arms. "You don't need to make it sound so hokey."

Barry shrugged and held his hands up. "I didn't say anything." He sighed. "I'm probably gonna be leaving soon."

"What? Why?"

He waved dismissively. "Twofold reasons. One, Raiko told me to recruit as many metas as I can."

"And two?"

His lips pursed. "Long story. Bit of a family emergency, actually. I shouldn't be gone long, though, maybe a couple of days."

Korra frowned. "You think Raiko would be against recruiting Green Arrow too?"

"I doubt it, but even if he was, he can't exactly afford to be too choosy about his allies right now. All the same, I think Ollie's gonna be too busy to help for the next couple of days at _least_."

She arched an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"Same reason I'm leaving."

Barry and Korra turned to an approaching Asami.

"Oliver's gonna be helping me hunt down some…stolen technology."

Korra frowned. "I thought you'd be here to oversee construction of the suits."

Asami waved her off. "Varrick already has the plans, and besides, this may have direct relevance to fortifying Republic City's defenses."

"According to Asami," Barry added, "the tech Kuvira's people have could be used to develop powerful weapons."

Korra arched an eyebrow. "Exactly how powerful?"

"Depending on how they channel it—and how big the power source is," Asami answered, "it could be just as destructive as that cannon."

Barry and Korra both stared at her.

"Needless to say, I am _very_ intent on recovering that tech and destroying whatever research they have into weaponizing it."

"Don't let us hold you up, then," Korra said, putting a hand on her arm.

Asami smiled. "Right." She turned and started walking, but stopped short and turned back to Barry with a cringe. "Oh…I almost forgot."

Barry's eyes widened slightly. "What is it?"

"Umm…" She toyed with her hands nervously. "It's Hal."

"Hal?"

Asami nodded. "He got back late yesterday, and the last time I saw him…he was pretty ticked about being ditched in the South Pole."

Barry blanched. "Oh no…"

"Yeahhhh…so…if you could, I don't know, try to smooth things over with him? Maybe?" She kept glancing around nervously.

Barry and Korra exchanged a look.

"I-I mean, you don't _have_ to. I know you aren't exactly the _closest_ of friends, but—"

"I'll see what I can do," Barry interrupted.

She sighed in noticeable relief. "Thank you."

He smiled and nodded. "Be safe, sis."

"Yeah, you too."

The meta couple watched her go, Korra the first to break the silence.

"I don't think I've ever met this 'Hal' guy, but whoever he is, Asami's got it for him—bad."

Barry's lips pursed as he nodded. "Mhm."

Korra looked up at him. "Should I be worried?"

He turned to her. "What, about Hal?" He shrugged. "Naw. No, he may be egotistical, crazy, and kind of a jerk sometimes, but he's a good guy. And he really cares about her, so…"

She nodded. "I better get going."

"Yeah, me too. See you later."

"Mhm."

They embraced briefly, breaking apart as the Flash sped off trailing golden lightning.

…

1 minute later

Future Industries Airfield

"Hal? Hey, Hal, you in here?"

Hal Jordan pulled a welding mask off his face to look toward the entrance, setting down a welding torch and sliding himself off the plane he was working on. "Hey, Barry."

Barry walked up to him nervously. "So…I'm really sorry about leaving you. I had to—"

"No," he interrupted, holding up a hand, "no, I get it, man. I do. You had to go run off and save the day."

Barry blinked hard and stared at him. "Excuse me?"

Hal arched an eyebrow. "You know…Kuvira? The Avatar? Green Arrow? Execution? Any of those ring a bell?"

Panic started to thump in Barry's veins. "Uh, I think you're a little confused. That was the _Flash_."

Hal smirked and crossed his arms, nodding slowly. "Yes. Yes it was."

Barry paled visibly. "…how—"

Hal sighed and picked at his nails absently, looking bored. "I may generally be considered a little out of my skull, what with all the death-defying stunts and my general inclination toward doing stupid crap, but I'm not _actually_ an idiot." He looked at Barry sharply. "You arrive at the South Pole, vanish mysteriously, and then two days later, a red streak is seen leaving the southern spirit portal in a mad dash to the north. And then, a minute later, a live TV broadcast is interrupted and effectively hijacked by the Flash. Now, if I couldn't put _those_ pieces together, then I really _am_ an idiot."

Barry stumbled back a few steps, staring at the ground and hyperventilating.

"Geez, man, _relax_. I'm not gonna _tell_ anyone."

He looked up at the pilot openmouthed.

Hal smirked. "The Flash has done _way_ too much good stuff for this town. And besides, you're Asami's adopted brother." He took a step towards Barry. "I just wanted you to know that I know so that _you_ know you don't have to tiptoe around me anymore."

Barry gaped at him for another second or two before shaking himself off. "Okay. Um…thanks?"

He nodded. "You're welcome."

A sudden beep sounded from Barry's pocket, and he scrambled to put on a long-range earpiece. "Yeah? Uh huh? You're _sure_? Yeah, I'll be right there." He tapped the earpiece and turned to face Hal. "I uh…I gotta run."

Hal smirked, shaking his head. "Of _course_ you do."

"I'll, uh…see you later."

"Mhm."

Hal watched him speed off, whistling through his teeth as he watched him go, only a massive gust of wind left in his wake. He stared at the concrete floor for a while, just smiling to himself and shaking his head. He looked back out the door, still seeing disturbed dust on the move, and felt a brief pang of envy before returning to work on his planes.

…

6 minutes later

Earth Empire encampment

Lin glanced back to see the Flash skid to a stop some eight feet off. "You're late."

Barry gave her a deadpan look. "Hey, you chose when to call me."

Lin rolled her eyes and turned forward as her mother tore a hole in the wall of a factory building, allowing them to proceed inside. Barry filed in behind Bolin and Opal, stopping to gape as they did at the _gigantic_ cannon sitting on the opposite side of the building. They stared for several moments before they heard a stomp on their right, Toph's eyes closed as she focused.

"I think I know where they are. Feel that cavern a few stories down?" The original metalbender straightened up. "It seems empty, but it's guarded by an awful lot of mech."

Lin stomped and looked for herself. "Right. Why would you need _soldiers_ guarding an empty cavern? They must have them in some kind of suspended prison so they can't use their earthbending."

Suddenly, the giant doors at one end of the warehouse began to slide open with a massive creak.

Bolin turned to the rest of the group. "Someone's coming; hide!"

They all scampered to duck behind a stack of crates, watching as Kuvira and two mecha suits proceeded inside the building. More people filed in behind them as they gazed at the cannon, Baatar, Jr. and Zhu Li among them.

"I…didn't expect you until tomorrow," Baatar said.

"I just wanted to check in to make sure everything was on track," replied Kuvira. "It looks _wonderful_."

"We've… had a few minor malfunctions—"

Kuvira shot him a look.

"—but we should be ready for the test tomorrow."

Kuvira eyed him for a moment before turning to Zhu Li. "You've been working on this the entire time, Zhu Li. What do _you_ think the problem is?"

The assistant glanced down and off to the side. "It's a very complex machine. There are bound to be some bugs to work out."

Kuvira kept glaring. "But you're doing everything you can to fix those, correct?"

Zhu Li bowed. "Of course, Your Eminence."

Toph waited a moment before saying, "She's _lying_."

On Barry's left, Bolin broke out in a huge grin.

"Tell the troops and factory workers to attend tomorrow's demonstration." Kuvira turned toward the cannon. "I want them all to witness this incredible new weapon in action."

And with that, the Beifongs (unofficial adoptees and boyfriend included) left the building the way they came, eventually getting back to where they stashed Juicy.

Barry leaned against a rock, arms crossed and eyes closed, as they debated their next move.

"We should be thinking of a way to take out Kuvira while we have the chance."

 _Opal._

"Or at least destroy the cannon. If she takes that to Republic City, it could obliterate everything."

 _Bolin._

" _I_ didn't come to fight with Kuvira or destroy a cannon," said Toph. "I'm here to save my family. It will take _everything_ we have just to get out alive."

Bolin hummed thoughtfully. "Kuvira wants every single one of her people to see the weapon test tomorrow, so the factory will be mostly empty then. That's our best chance to sneak in and free Su without being spotted."

Barry could hear the smile in Opal's voice. "Good thinking, Bolin."

"Thanks…I kind of have a headache now."

Barry sighed and opened his eyes, gazing at the factory and other buildings in the distance.

"You're being uncharacteristically quiet," Lin said.

Barry snapped his head to look at them.

"You're not still tired, are you?"

He sighed and shook his head, pushing off the rock to walk toward them. "Two nights of decent rest were good enough for me."

Lin's eyes narrowed at him.

"I just…" Barry's eyes closed as memories rushed through his mind.

 _The images that flooded his vision held his attention for nearly a full minute. A vision of his younger self being shoved to the floor by Tony Woodward. Korra in tears back at the airfield. Asami and her father speaking with bars between them. A metal body as tall as a skyscraper._

The last image held his attention, fuzzy and dulled though it was by time, but just sharp enough to remember one detail.

The cannon they'd seen in that factory looked _identical_ to the device on its right arm.

His ice-blue eyes snapped open to lock with Lin's concerned gaze. "I'm fine. Really. I just…" he looked back to the factory, "have a really bad feeling about this." He remained silent for a while, then turned toward the blind member of the group. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners?"

Toph arched an eyebrow at him.

"Hi. We…haven't met yet. I'm—"

"Barry Allen, the Flash, I know." Toph snorted. "Korra wouldn't shut up about you."

Barry gaped at her. "She told you?"

Another snort. "Didn't _have_ to. She had a teched-out metal trinket in her pocket, in the shape of _that_." She pointed at the emblem on Barry's chest. "And every time she touched it, she got this weird heart rhythm."

Barry smiled, eyes glazing over a little.

Toph rolled her unseeing eyes. "Oh, brother. You two are _made_ for each other."

He grinned. "I like to think so." Barry turned to Lin. "If you guys are waiting 'til tomorrow, I've got a few runs to make, some people to visit, try and get their help."

Lin nodded. "Don't take too long."

Another grin. "Don't worry, Mom. I won't be out after bedtime."

Barry headed off to the west, but stayed within earshot just long enough to hear Toph's incredulous query of, "Mom?" He just laughed and kept running.

…

Spirit Wilds, Republic City

Since Korra had freed the lost souls from the Spirit World, the Wilds had calmed down considerably. They seemed quiet—perhaps _too_ quiet. Point of fact, there wasn't a single spirit in sight, no matter where she looked. She caught sight of one, a yellow one floating somewhere above her.

"Excuse me, spirit? Can I talk to—"

It faded from existence in mere seconds.

"—and you're gone." Korra turned around to see five more spirits fade away, teleporting into the Spirit World. "Just like all the other spirits." Her eyes widened in realization. "They're abandoning the city."

…

Fire Nation

"Sorry, we're closing down for the—"

Caitlin stopped talking abruptly when she caught sight of auburn hair, gaping like a fish and staring at the smiling speedster sitting in her office.

"Barry?"

He stood up and strode toward her, grinning from ear to ear. "Dr. Raymond."

She frowned and clasped her hands in front of her, not meeting his gaze.

"Hey." He tipped her chin up. "What's up?"

Caitlin blinked a few times, eyes flitting around. "Um…Cisco…Cisco told me what happened. After I left."

Barry sighed and nodded slowly. "Yeah." He moved around to shut the door, turning back to face her. He shrugged. "That was a rough week."

She stared determinedly at the ground.

"Was worth it for what happened at the end."

Cate looked up at him.

He smiled smugly. "I assume you saw Kuvira's broadcast two days ago?"

She nodded slightly.

Barry's smile thinned slightly as he took her hand. "Cate…you were right. Ever since I got back, I've been running—and not in a good way." He sighed and glanced down, snorting a mildly bitter laugh. "You may not have been the first one to notice everything I was carrying around, but you were the only one to call me on it. What you told me, about isolating myself from people, not accepting help? I told myself that it was keeping the people I love safe, but the truth is…I was using my speed to run from my mistakes, from my pain and regrets, thinking that if I went fast enough, I could erase the damage I've done." He frowned. "But by refusing to address all of that, I unknowingly carried it around, let it weigh me down, and—" he shrugged, "—it caught up to me."

Barry put a hand on her shoulder. "All of this is to say that I don't blame you for leaving. As point of fact, what you did and said helped me finally come to terms with what's happened since I became the Flash. You helped me get my speed back and save Oliver and Korra." He smiled. "Thank you."

Caitlin stared up at him, blinking a few times with her mouth agape.

Barry smiled wider. "Come here."

He pulled her into a hug, which she reciprocated enthusiastically. They stayed like that for a few seconds before pulling apart, Barry's features sharpening.

Caitlin's head cocked slightly. "That's not why you came here."

His head shook. "Not entirely. President Raiko and Chief Beifong agree—for once—that it's only a matter of time before Kuvira tries something against the United Republic, and the president himself requested that I get help."

She arched a cynical eyebrow. "He wants the help of other metahumans."

He nodded.

Her arms crossed as she snorted. "So he makes us all out to be incorrigible criminals, then when he needs us comes begging for help. Why am I not surprised?"

Barry shared her expression and shook his head. "Those are politicians for you. Doesn't make the threat or need any less real. Much as I hate taking orders from him, Raiko isn't wrong. We're gonna need more than conventional tactics and means to beat Kuvira. She's no less a threat than someone like the Reverse-Flash, maybe more, since she has so many people willing to follow her to the gates of hell."

Caitlin frowned. "You came to get Firestorm."

Barry nodded.

She nodded slowly. "That's not happening."

He blinked in confusion.

Cate moved past him to pull a few things from her desk and pack them into a messenger bag at her hip. She strode back up to Barry and smirked. "Not without Frost."

Barry arched an eyebrow. "Frost?"

She tilted her head and put a hand on her hip. "I didn't really think the whole 'Killer' part was very indicative of a hero…do you?"

He gaped and stared at her. "You mean…you—"

"He's my husband," she interrupted, "and Republic City is my home. Your father and I have been talking a lot since we met." Cate smiled widely. "He's an _extraordinary_ man."

Barry smiled and nodded. "That he is."

"I mean," she shrugged, "he'd _have_ to be, to keep hope after almost eight years in captivity—" she smirked, "—and to father a man like you."

He grinned.

"The more we've talked, the more he's helped me come to terms with everything that's happened to me. And, more specifically, my powers."

Cate held up one hand, looking down at it and pursing her lips as the motion caught Barry's eye. Her skin paled and frosted over with tiny ice crystals, cold steam rising from the appendage as she turned it over several times, weaving her fingers through the air and causing curling patterns of frozen water that materialized only briefly before fading into water vapor. She smiled at her closing hand as it returned to its normal state.

"Henry's been helping me learn to control my abilities on a level that's almost instinctive now. I still don't like using them, but I'm learning not to be afraid of them either." She let out a shuddering breath. "It's been a long process, one that won't be finished for a long time yet, but your dad gave me hope that one day, this'll be as natural to me as breathing. I told you and the others that I would only use my powers in emergencies." Cate looked up at him and smiled wider. "I think defending my home from a megalomaniac counts."

Barry grinned and nodded. "I should _hope_ so."

They chuckled.

Caitlin rubbed his arm. "Don't worry, Bear. When you need us, we'll be there. Henry said he was thinking of opening a branch of his practice in Republic City anyway, so we could alternate in shifts." She smiled. "I think he wants to be closer to you."

Barry let out a shuddering breath. "I would _love_ that. I mean, this place is only a few minutes' run away, but still." He frowned a little. "Speaking of, where _is_ my dad?"

Her head cocked slightly. "I think…he might be on a date."

Barry's eyebrows shot skyward. "Say _what_?"

Cate chuckled. "I know, it's strange, right?"

"Absolutely." He smiled. "But I can't think of anyone who deserves that more than Dad."

She nodded in reply and hugged him again. "I'll tell Ronnie and the professor about Kuvira. Give us a few days, and we'll be ready to go."

He nodded. "I uh…I better get going."

"I'll see you, Barry."

Barry smiled. "Count on it."

…

Earth Empire territory

It was just after nightfall when Barry got back to the Beifongs' camp, the entire party sitting around a fire and eating noodles.

"Dinner?!" Barry exclaimed upon arrival, startling all except Toph. "I'm _starving_."

Toph arched an eyebrow. "That's what happens when you run over a thousand miles in the space of three hours."

He stared at her briefly before blinking and shrugging noncommittally. Lin earthbent a seat for him, and he took it with a grateful smile, grabbing a large bowl of noodles she handed to him a moment later and dug in with gusto.

Bolin slurped a bit into his mouth, then cleared his throat and turned to Toph. "So let me ask you about metalbending. Su tried to teach me, but I couldn't get the hang of it."

Toph shifted her head slightly. "I used to have an academy to train metalbending. Even blockheads like you can figure it out with the right instruction."

Barry just managed to catch Lin muttering under her breath. "Yeah, you're a real sensitive instructor."

Bolin blinked. "I _did_ learn how to lavabend."

Toph's eyebrows shot skyward. "Really? It's a very _rare_ ability." She smiled wryly. "Maybe you _do_ have some talent."

Bolin squealed in delight. "I can't believe you think I'm talented." He started hyperventilating and fanning himself with his hands. "That means so much to me coming from my hero."

Lin was turned away from the rest of the group, but Barry (and the rest of the party, by the looks on their faces) could still hear her muttering. "Yeah, she's real encouraging."

Toph shot her a look. "Hey, I'm blind, not deaf."

Bolin frowned briefly before looking at Toph. "So here's something I've always been curious about. Who's Lin's Dad?"

The chief abruptly turned to glare at the lavabender, instantly making him cringe.

"He was a guy named Kanto," Toph answered. "Nice man, but it didn't really work out between us."

An awkward silence fell over the camp for a few moments before Bolin broke it.

"And…okay."

Toph sighed. "Lin, I can feel your enraged breathing from here."

Barry noticed her tense.

"Just say what you have to say, and let's get it over with."

Lin snapped around to face her mother, a scowl plastered to her features. "Just get it over with?" She glanced upward and huffed. "Yeah, let's not linger on the fact that I grew up without a dad. No need to get all touchy-feely about it. Just one of those things, right?"

"Hey," Toph replied in a mildly exasperated tone, "I forgave you for all your garbage a long time ago, and Su and I worked things out. _You're_ the only one who wants to hold on to this family drama nonsense for the rest of your life."

Lin only got more enraged. "Forgave me for what? And not knowing my dad is nonsense to you? It was pretty important to _me_." She waved a hand at Toph. "And until now, you would never even _discuss_ it." She calmed only slightly, glancing upward. "You know, after Su and I patched things up, I thought, 'Maybe I should try to reach out to Mom.'" She scowled again. "But now that we're together again, I _remember_ why we stopped talking. You make me furious, and you don't even know why. And when I tell you, you don't care." Lin's fists clenched in her lap. "Once we save Su, you and I are finished."

Barry gaped at her, glancing at Toph to see a poorly hidden expression of sadness etched into her aged features.

"If that's your decision and it makes you happy, then fine."

Lin huffed and turned back around, crossing her arms and fuming in silence.

About an hour later, they were all getting ready for bed, Lin setting up her bedroll in a section of the camp opposite her mother. Barry quietly strode up behind her, waiting for her to stand and turn around before pulling her into a tight hug. Startled, she just stood there for a few moments before sighing and holding him back. Her breathing turned a little ragged as she gently pushed him away, holding him at arm's length.

"I'm okay. Really." She tried and failed to smile.

He frowned. "I don't believe you."

Lin rolled her eyes and huffed, turning away to stare absently into the empty forest. She stayed silent for a while, sighing when she still felt him staring at her back. "Look, Barry." Lin rubbed a hand over the back of her head and started pacing. "These issues are years, _decades_ old." She snorted derisively and waved in the camp's direction. "One little family reunion and _she_ thinks I can just forget about all the hurt I've endured as a result of _her_ actions—or inactions." Her arms crossed as she glared at the ground. "All this time, and I'm not sure which have hurt me worse."

Barry took a step toward her. "That doesn't mean you should just cut her off outright."

Lin's green eyes snapped to him, still scowling.

He held his hands up placatingly. "Look, I don't mean to pry or tell you how to live your life—Raava knows I don't have the experience for that, but…" he shrugged, "she's your _mom_." His eyes glazed over briefly as he looked into the distance. "I had to grow up without mine." He returned his gaze to a silently fuming Lin. "If I had the chance to speak to her, just once…" he shrugged, "I'd give almost anything." Barry put a hand on her armored shoulder. "Yours is still here. You have a chance that I didn't, that…I'll probably _never_ have."

"To do what?" she asked sharply.

"To have a relationship with the woman who bore you…and still loves you." He shrugged. "Even if she has funny ways of showing it."

Lin kept staring at him, softening just a bit. "I…" she sighed hard, "I get what you're trying to say, Barry, I do." She frowned and looked away, hands fisting at her sides. "But I'm not like you." Lin moved back toward her bedroll, taking off her armor in silence for a few moments. She sighed again as the last piece touched the ground, head bowed. " _Your_ mother was taken from you. Mine left." She turned her head to look back at him. "Tell me; since then, what has she done to _deserve_ my forgiveness?"

Barry's lips pursed. "This isn't _about_ her. This is about _you_ , about letting go of your pain and resentment so you can finally move on." He looked away. "The longer you hold onto that, the more it hurts you…and who does that help?" His ice-blue eyes turned back to her. "Please…just think about it."

Lin took a deep breath and slowly released it, looking up at him with a frown. Eventually, she nodded slightly. "I will."

She turned forward, pulling back the top sheet of the bedroll but stopping when she felt arms curl around her from behind.

"I love you," Barry said softly.

Lin let out a sigh that was half exasperation, half resignation, and all fondness as she held his hands with hers. "I love you too, Bear."

He froze for a second, then snorted a laugh. "I think that's, like, the first time you've ever called me that."

Her head shook slowly as a small smile forced itself to her lips. "You're making me soft in my old age," she said, gently rubbing his forearm.

Barry chuckled against her back and tightened his grip momentarily before letting go. "Good night, Mom."

She slid under the sheet, Barry pulling it up to her shoulders. "Good night, Bear."

…

Barry's hands were stuffed in his pockets as he strode toward his own section of the camp, a frown slowly making its way to his features as his mind returned to his conversation—and his own words.

 _"…what has she done to_ deserve _my forgiveness?"_

 _"This isn't_ about _her. This is about_ you _, about letting go of your pain and resentment so you can finally move on. The longer you hold onto that, the more it hurts you…and who does that help?"_

Barry came to an abrupt stop, staring at the ground and dragging the sole of his right foot back and forth. His ice-blue eyes turned to a sleeping Lin, then to Toph, and finally to the southern sky. His jaw tightened as he let out a harsh breath and tilted his head slightly. He made a decision, and the next second, he was taking off into the night. He was crossing the South Sea a minute later, and five minutes after that, he sped past a pair of uniformed guards and slid to a stop in front of a reinforced glass box. On the other side, a raven-haired man opened his eyes and turned his head to face Barry, a look of mild confusion on his face. He grunted and used both hands to push off the cot that served as his bed, shifting so that his feet touched the ground.

"Flash," he said flatly.

"Thawne," Barry returned.

Eobard's blue eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

Barry's jaw worked as he started pacing. He was silent a while until he huffed and turned to face Thawne. "Look…I don't care if you understand what or why, or if you accept what I'm about to say, or if it makes any sort of difference between us. I have to say this for me."

He arched a curious eyebrow.

Barry's eyes closed briefly as he let out a long breath. "Lin met her mom today, for the first time in _years_ , and despite their initial fondness, they deteriorated into bickering because of past hurts and wrongs that Lin can't let go of." He started pacing again. "I told her…that even if Toph didn't see what she'd done wrong, even if she didn't apologize or understand how badly she'd hurt her daughter, it was up to _her_ to let all of that go, so she could finally get on with her life without any of that weighing her down." Barry took a deep breath. "And…almost _immediately_ after saying that, I realized."

Barry stopped and faced Thawne. "I realized that you're still in my heart." His head shook slowly, a grimace briefly passing over his features. "How much I _hate_ you for what you've done." His eyes filled, thumbs jamming into and rubbing them briefly as his hands went through his hair. He released another breath and turned his eyes to look at a blank-faced Thawne. "I don't want to hate you anymore. I can't…can't hate you anymore." He squared his shoulders, fingers curling at his sides as his features softened. "I forgive you."

Thawne just stared at him blankly, the silence dragging on for nearly half a minute before Barry nodded and turned for the door.

"Barry."

He stopped and looked over his shoulder to see Thawne staring at him narrow-eyed, a strange glint in his eyes.

Thawne smiled bitterly and splayed his hands outward. "This was all very… _touching_." He let out a breath. "But you were right. This changes nothing." His hands clasped in his lap, gaze sharpening to nearly deadly proportions. "To be clear…nothing is forgiven. One day, I _will_ get out of this chair. There _will_ be a reckoning." His head tilted up slightly. "I promise you, Barry Allen…" his upper lip briefly twitched in a snarl, "that you will die."

Barry stared back at him, nodding slowly, then turned for the exit and vanished in a burst of gold lightning.

…

Next day

Somewhere in Earth Empire territory

A wave of ice-cold water splashed over the bloodied face of a shirtless man, currently chained to the ceiling of a darkened room. He gasped and jolted at being so rudely and abruptly awakened, a swirl of memories flooding back as dread began sinking into his system. He took several sharp breaths, eyes blinking hard at the harshness of the spotlight illuminating his hanging body and glancing around the room for anything useful. He froze when he heard a familiar, mocking voice.

"I hope I didn't hurt you."

The man took several hard breaths, upper lip twitching.

"At least I can properly thank you now for saving my life." Another figure in a suit stepped from the shadows, hands tucked in his pockets as he paced around his captive. He smirked. "If I only knew how you were spending your nights."

"Where's Asami?"

"Miss Sato is just fine. In a similar but…less uncomfortable setup." His head bowed slightly. "She _is_ a lady." He took a breath. "My hope is that I can explain everything to you to…help you understand."

Oliver Queen scowled at the now-unmasked Magician. "You murdered my father. You _sentenced_ me to that island, to five years of hell!"

"I am truly sorry for what happened to you." Merlyn took a moment. "You know I have…lost people."

"Yeah, your wife. Do you really think that you're honoring Tommy's mother by destroying the Lower Rings?"

Merlyn stopped and turned to face Oliver, holding the upper half of his suit. "As surely as you believe you're honoring your father with this hood." His features shifted in sorrow as he looked down. "Not a day goes by…I don't miss your father." His eyes moved to Oliver.

Oliver's eyes flashed in fury. "You'll see him soon."

Merlyn took several steps toward him. "You can't beat me, Oliver. Yes, you're younger, and you're faster, yet you've always seemed to come up short against me. Want to know why?"

Oliver just glared.

"Because you don't know—in your heart…what you're fighting for, what you're willing to sacrifice, and I _do_."

He looked at the ground silently.

Merlyn stared at him for a moment, then shrugged smugly and turned toward the exit. "No one can stop what's about to come." He made for the door, stopping just next to it to face Oliver and hold up the hood. "Not even the Green Arrow."

The Magician unceremoniously dropped it to the floor, walking out the exit without another word.

* * *

AN: All right, so another chapter with no action and a lot of character plot. Starting next chapter, we're gonna have a whole lot of stuff going on at once, layers upon layers of plots and action. The length of each chapter is probably going to remain this hefty—if not get a little longer, in some cases. Believe it or not, we're almost done. It's a little sad, but at the same time, I'm glad to be so close to the end. This'll make only the second story on this site that I've actually _finished_ , which is kind of big for me, considering how long it's taken to get this far.

Hope you liked the various interactions this chapter and are looking forward to some seriously epic moments. We're finally coming up to the finale of Act II, and let me tell you, it's gonna be _awesome_.

Review ASAP and I'll post more.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	49. Savior

Savior (n.): a person who saves someone or something from danger.

20 minutes earlier

Earth Empire encampment

2 years, 7 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"The test is about to start. They're going to blow up that empty town we flew over yesterday. You're clear to go."

Barry glanced at Lin, who nodded to him.

"Copy that," she said. "We're going in."

Lin leapt into a hole earthbent in the direction of the cavern, followed quickly by Toph and Bolin. Barry came in behind them, taking up the rear and waiting for Toph to pop the cork on the doorway leading into the cavern. She did so a few moments after entering the tunnel, revealing a wooden box suspended with eight thick ropes.

"The guards are on the other side of that door," Toph whispered. "We'll have to be quiet."

"Shoot me over to the cage," said Lin, "and I can swing them back on my cable." She turned to Bolin. "Bolin, you'll have to catch them since Mom won't be able to see them."

He nodded.

"Barry, think you can use those ropes to get them out?"

Barry's lips pursed and head shook. "Too thin. I might be able to take a running jump, but I won't have much space to launch once I'm on that cage. I might not be able to get up to speed."

She nodded. "Was worth a shot." Lin turned around and knelt, facing the cage. "Ready?"

Toph and Bolin took either side and braced, launching her off an earth pillar, then shutting the door. Barry's heart pounded when he heard the entrance door slam open, but calmed down when no sounds of battle were heard on the other side of the earth wall. It closed again a second later. Toph's head cocked to one side curiously.

Barry noticed. "What is it?"

Her eyes narrowed. "There's…someone else, in another section of the base. Not a soldier, or a scientist…another captive, by the erratic sound of his heartbeat."

Barry's brows furrowed. "Another captive? Where?"

She pointed to her right. "About two-hundred feet that way, about a floor above ground."

He looked in that direction, then turned back to the matriarch. "Mind if I check it out?"

Toph shrugged as the first member of the Beifong family landed in Bolin's arms. "You're not of much use here anyway."

The Flash arched an eyebrow, exchanged a look with Bolin, and took off out the hole, keeping to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings and ensuring he stayed out of the line of sight of any soldiers. He phased through one wall and came to a stop at the second floor, taking a look around and seeing nothing but office space. His brows furrowed, and he put a hand to his ear.

"Toph, I'm in the building. Are you _sure_ there's a prisoner here?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because this structure isn't a prison—it's an office space."

"Well, what are you telling _me_ for?"

Barry rolled his eyes and took off, checking the rooms one by one until he found a single locked door—to a room marked, "Baatar." His eyes widened as realization passed over his features.

 _This isn't just an office space. It's a planning suite for Kuvira's projects._

He brought his right hand to the doorknob and vibrated it until the lock shattered. A startled yelp came from inside, and Barry cautiously entered, ducking immediately when a letter opener flew at his head.

"Whoa, hey, I'm a friendly!"

The speedster glanced around the spacious office, finally catching movement and a flash of dark hair ducking behind a desk. He zipped over behind it and saw someone, dark-skinned like Vibe with similar hair and eyes, holding his hands up defensively. His eyes widened and jaw dropped halfway.

"You're Dante," Barry said.

He blinked several times and stared at him. "How did you know that?"

The Flash knelt by him, holding his hands up in a nonthreatening gesture. "I know your brother, Cisco. He's been worried about you."

Dante snorted and looked off to the side. "Worried. That's rich. He's the one that got me _into_ this in the first place."

Barry rolled his eyes. "And suddenly," he muttered, "I can see why you two drifted apart."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just…get up. We don't have much time."

Dante arched an eyebrow and stood. "We?"

"Long story. To keep it short, my friends and I are gonna get you outta here."

He frowned. "Why does that not reassure me?"

Flash put his hands on his hips and gave Dante a look. "Because you're an ass?"

Dante snorted and was about to protest.

Barry cut him off with a hand. "Just—wait by the door." He glanced toward the desk Dante was hiding behind. "I'm gonna have a look around."

Without waiting for Dante's answer, the Flash zipped around the office, scanning one pile of notes after the next until they all started to blend together. Barely fifteen seconds later, he backtracked to something he'd overlooked and gaped in horror. His hand went to his earpiece barely a split-second later.

"Chief…we have a problem."

"Might have to be a little more specific. We're down to Su and Baatar, Sr., and the inventor's refusing to budge."

Barry's lips pursed tightly. "They have their speed engine here, with copies of Reverse-Flash's notes on how it works."

"Barry, you're hesitating."

"According to Baatar, Jr.'s accompanying notes, they're days away from learning how to reverse its polarity."

"English, Allen."

He looked up toward the gigantic spirit cannon in the distance. "They're trying to reverse the flow of energy. So instead of sapping Speedforce from a target—"

"It'll send energy already collected _into_ a target," she interrupted with a mildly anxious tone.

"Yes."

"Spirits…they're trying to create their own speedster."

Barry's lips pursed. "And I need to stop them." Within seconds, he collected every scrap of notes in the room, anything referring to the speed engine, and piled it all up. He stared at the pile for a moment before shaking his head. "No one should have this technology." His right hand vibrated next to the stack until sparks of lightning danced off its surface, increasing in frequency and intensity until the papers ignited. "Destroying the notes won't be enough, though. As long as Baatar has any clue of how to operate the engine, there's always the danger that he'll figure it out himself. I need to find the device and dismantle it."

"Do what you have to. That kind of power can _never_ fall into Kuvira's hands."

"Understood." He took off toward the exit, grabbing Dante on the way and speeding to the Beifongs.

Which is when alarms started going off. The Flash's eyes rolled.

 _Perfect._

"Guys, what the heck was that?"

"Su's _husband_ ," Lin said with some edge, "decided to scream like a little girl when I yanked him out of prison. The guards heard and thus—here we are."

In the background of Lin's line, he heard Bolin communicating with Opal—they'd gotten everyone out. It was just a matter of escaping now. The Flash came to a stop next to the group as Opal touched down in front of her family. She blew a bison whistle and grinned ear to ear.

"Mom! Dad!" Opal sprinted toward them and tackled them with hugs, tightening her hold for a few moments before opening her eyes and turning to Bolin. "Thank you."

He smiled and nodded to her.

Lin turned to Opal. "Let's move."

The girl frowned. "Kuvira caught Zhu Li and threw her in the town."

Bolin paled. "What?" He stood abruptly. "No, I have to go save her!"

Lin looked up at him. "You can't go in there, kid. It's suicide. Kuvira's onto us."

He glanced to her. "We've been through too much together; I can't leave her. Toph, you said Zhu Li was lying about fixing the cannon. She must've been trying to _stop_ it."

"For all _you_ know," Toph replied, "she could just have been covering her butt because she made a mistake."

"No," Bolin insisted. "Zhu Li doesn't _make_ mistakes. You guys leave." He turned toward the interior of the base. "If we make it out, we'll get to the city somehow."

Opal's eyes went wide. "Bolin, no!"

He ran off anyway.

The airbender frowned and propelled herself atop the sky bison that touched down moments after he left. "You guys get out of here. I have to go with Bolin."

She took off, leaving the rest somewhat discombobulated.

Su turned to Lin. "Could be our best chance to stop Kuvira."

"Maybe take out that weapon," her sister replied.

"Speaking of weapons—" Barry interrupted.

Lin glanced at him. "Did Baatar's notes say where he was keeping the engine?"

"No."

She turned to Toph. "Mother?"

Toph sighed and stood, stomping the ground and closing her eyes in focus. "Might have something. Other side of the base. Glass, metal, and a whole lot of weird stuff I've never felt before."

"Future tech, I'd guess," said Barry. He turned to Lin. "From what I was able to see when she captured me, Kuvira didn't just steal Thawne's notes on the engine, she salvaged the engine itself, _and_ the turbine needed to collect and store the energy."

"This is all very fascinating," interrupted Dante, "but when are we getting out of here?"

All attention turned to him, and he shrunk almost visibly.

Lin arched an eyebrow. "Who the hell are you?"

Barry waved at him. "Guys, this is—Dante Ramon."

She looked at Barry sharply. "You mean—"

"No more leverage against Cisco."

Dante snapped to him. "Leverage? I thought he was working for them."

Barry sent him a glare. "You don't know a damn thing about him, do you?" He snorted and shook his head, turning to Toph. "Take care of him, will you?"

"And Baatar, Sr. and Huan," Su added.

Toph nodded, and as one, they split off for their respective missions.

…

Air Temple Island, Republic City

Korra took and slowly released a deep breath as she focused hard, closing her eyes and feeling a familiar transition pass over her. Her eyes slid open, revealing the Tree of Time and its surroundings. Several spirits were gathered at its roots. The Avatar stood up, facing them.

"Spirits, this is the Avatar."

A cluster of others began to appear and gather around her.

"Please listen to me. Since I opened the portals, spirits and humans have lived happily together in Republic City." She smiled. "It's all I could have hoped for. I know you felt the effects of Kuvira cutting down spirit vines. But now isn't the time for you to flee the city. It's time for you to help me save it from Kuvira, who was perverting spirit power to use as a weapon against other humans."

From behind her, an ethereal voice gave its answer. "We don't get involved with human wars."

Korra turned to see an eel-dragon floating past her. "Spirits worked with Unalaq."

"He was misusing Vaatu's power during Harmonic Convergence to force spirits to fight you." It came to a stop in front of her. "Is that what you want?"

"No, but as the Avatar, I'm hoping that you will come to my aid—" she smiled, "to save the new world we all share."

"What you want is exactly what Kuvira wants: to use spirits as a weapon in a human war." It kept speaking as it began to fade into nothingness. "The answer is no."

In slight desperation, Korra dashed toward the other spirits, who were vanishing in droves. "Wait! Please, listen. If spirits and humans are gonna live together, we have to work with each other."

She kept glancing about as one by one, they all vanished, leaving her alone at the base of the Tree of Time. A resigned sigh was the last trace of her before she too vanished into thin air.

…

Earth Empire encampment

Barry gaped outright as he slid to a stop, staring at the gigantic, building-sized hole drilled _through_ a mountain beyond the edge of the empty town targeted for demolition. His eyes shifted to the cause of the misfire, a massive earth strike by the Beifong sisters, and he smiled with a flicker of pride as he saw them engage Kuvira and her troops. Turning back to his own objective, he charged toward the far side of the base and bolted through a door leading to a warehouse smaller than the one the cannon had been housed in. Nonetheless, it had its own _exceedingly_ tight security system.

The Flash slid to an abrupt stop just inside the building, heaving a sigh as he stared down four familiar criminals. He shrugged and held his arms out to his sides.

"Really? We're gonna do this again?"

Deadshot took a step toward him, hands clasped in front of him. "'Fraid it just can't be helped."

Barry's eyes narrowed. "Why are you doing this? Working for her, I mean. It can't just be about cleaning up your records. With power and abilities like yours, you could be out of Earth Empire territory and starting new lives _anywhere_ else. She'd never be able to stop you."

They all shifted uncomfortably.

"There's something else, isn't there? Something she's holding over your heads…or someone maybe?"

Deadshot straightened up and stared him dead-on. "Her egghead fiancé developed a bomb that could be planted under the skin." He turned around and tapped just below the base of his neck. "Wired us up with one each, said if we ever stepped out of line—boom."

Flash took a step forward, waving at them. "I could remove them. Phase through, pull 'em right out."

Lawton turned about with a smirk, facing him. "Even if I trusted you to go rootin' around in my spine—which I don't—these things have a tamper trigger. Any of 'em get exposed to air without being disarmed first, they explode."

Barry sighed. "We could still find another way."

Cupid rolled her eyes and sighed, turning her gaze to Lawton. "Baby, why are we still talking with this idiot?"

Deadshot gave her a scalding look. "Don't _ever_ call me that again." He turned back to Barry. "Like I said before, it's just business, Flash."

The speedster nodded slowly. "I understand." His head tilted slightly. "And so's this."

The entirety of the squad snapped into action, but before their weapons could even clear hip level, the entire world had slowed to a near standstill. Earth projectiles outside were virtually frozen midair, dust mites disturbed by movement floating and drifting on various intertwining air currents like dragonfly-hummingbirds. The Flash took and released a deep breath, hands tightening to fists for a moment before he moved. Tiger and Cupid went flying in opposite directions as he sped past them, curling back around just as Shrapnel's right hand dipped into his explosives bag.

He yanked the legs out from under Shrapnel, pulling his bag away so fast, the strap broke. Lawton pulled off two solid shots, which were dodged easily, not even slowing Barry down as he bowled him into a wall and arced to move further into the building before Tiger and Cupid could push themselves halfway upright. Ice-blue eyes widened as the Flash spotted the speed engine in the next room over. He slid to a stop about five feet from the glass case, the engine and implanted turbine some ten feet from that. Recounting the time, he calculated that only ten seconds had passed since the fight began. In another two, every single charge in Shrapnel's bag had been planted on the engine and triggered on a five-second timer.

Speeding out the door, the Flash snatched up his would-be opponents and tossed them from the warehouse as they entered the engine room, the bombs exploding in a massive chain reaction that sent chunks of the building flying in all directions. After standing and observing for a moment the pile of wreckage left in the wake of the explosion, he was fairly satisfied that the engine had been reduced to dust. Looking around, he saw Kuvira's criminal squad beginning to recover. He locked eyes with Deadshot for just a moment, saluting him with a smirk, then taking off as his earpiece clicked on.

"Flash, we might need your—" Lin cut off abruptly as he came within sight of her and the other Beifongs—who were being rescued by Toph and the rest of their party. "Never mind."

Barry smirked and slid to a stop as they mounted onto Juicy and took to the skies. "Mission accomplished. See you back at the city." He was about to take off in that direction when his earpiece buzzed and beeped with a strange tone. Frowning, he switched frequencies. "Hello?"

Static was his only answer for a few moments before it resolved into a familiar voice. "Barry! Thank Raava."

His eyes widened in alarm. "Asami? What the hell—"

"Look, Bear, I don't have time for you to tell me, 'I told you so,' so listen carefully. Oliver and I were captured by Merlyn and the Dai Li, and taken to a secret prison about seventy miles northwest of Zaofu. We've managed to break out of custody, but we're gonna need help to escape."

Barry blinked once. "Okay, give me more specifics."

"Near as we can tell, this place is situated somewhere in the mountains. I don't have many details—no way to know for sure until we're outside."

The Flash shrugged. "Okay, what if you…sent up a smoke signal or something?"

A pause. "That might work. We'll see what we can do. Just—ah!"

"Asami?!"

"Arrow, watch it! Just get here soon!"

Barry nodded and clicked his earpiece off, about to take off.

"Well, well, well…"

His jaw clenched as he turned toward the cannon, where Kuvira was looking down at him.

"I honestly can't say I'm surprised to see you here, Flash, considering your…connection with the Beifongs." She snorted. "Not that you wouldn't have ended up here anyway, you…hero you."

He smiled at her sarcastically.

"So, have you come to take another shot at me? Seems _everyone's_ trying it today." Kuvira began to pace as her troops started to move in. "Considering my however limited fatigue and your own increase in speed—" she came to a stop and faced him with narrowed eyes, "—you might _actually_ be able to win this time."

Barry smirked. "Believe me, nothing would please me more." His upper lip twitched. "But you're not my priority."

Without another word, he took off into the northwest, missing her return smile and declaration of, "Another time then."

…

Kuvira watched the curving dust cloud left in the Flash's wake, green eyes narrowing dangerously as her jaw tightened to a clench.

"Beloved."

She blinked and turned, pushing away from the railing to face her fiancé. "Baatar, I don't like your tone."

Indeed, he was pale and his expression nearly panicked. "It appears that freeing our prisoners was not the only damage the Flash and Beifongs were able to accomplish today." He motioned to what was left of the warehouse containing the speed engine.

Her eyes widened at it, then turned back to him. "How bad?"

His head shook. "The explosion was quite thorough. The engine is completely destroyed. The only part that's even _remotely_ salvageable is the turbine, and without the engine, it's useless."

Kuvira's fists clenched as she sent a withering glare at the ground. And then something shifted in her features, and a sinister smile spread over her features. "Maybe not." She took a moment to think, then turned to the inventor. "Baatar, see if you can integrate the turbine into a more…portable storage mechanism. And contact Merlyn. Tell him we need the best lightning bender he can find."

Baatar arched a curious eyebrow. "For what purpose?"

She smiled venomously. "Removing the Flash from my path once and for all."

…

Earth Empire territory, 70 miles northwest of Zaofu

"Run!"

 _You don't have to tell me twice._

Asami fell into a dead sprint as arrows and stones alike began flying in their direction, a few landing dangerously close to her running path. She glanced back to see Oliver put an arrow into the leg of an earthbending Dai Li agent.

"Keep moving!" he shouted at her.

Asami rounded a corner of the prison-like base, eyes widening when a man all in black nearly ran straight into her. He wore a similar uniform to Merlyn, but with a different sword at his belt—which was soon in his hand. He swung downward, the curved blade of his sword glinting in the poor lighting of the hallway. Asami's jaw tightened as she ducked to one side, dashing past him and twirling clockwise to deliver a sweep kick. He leapt over it and dropped a diagonal strike on her, barely dodged in time. She felt the sweep of the blade snap through the edge of her hair, slicing off a bit, but a triumphant smirk rose to her lips as the deadliest part of it skated past her.

An elbow was driven into his lower ribs, knocking him back a step, and he countered with a clockwise-spinning strike aimed at her neck. She ducked just under it, yelping when a knee was driven into her left eyebrow, knocking her on her back. Her left hand pressed against the impact point, feeling a bruise form at the point and opening her uninjured eye to see the agent standing over her, ready to skewer her to the ground with his katana. A green-tipped arrow lanced into his left shoulder, throwing his aim off and allowing Asami to twist away from the stab. He tried to come back with a backhanded strike, but Asami grabbed the blade with her electric glove, the charge running up the metal and into his hands.

He seized for a moment before stumbling backwards into the Green Arrow's waiting bow. He flipped him over his shoulder and tore his mask off on the way down. Oliver gaped and stared at him for a second.

"Arrow, come on!"

Asami grabbed his arm, yanking him toward the exit as they ran, more earth projectiles flying their way.

"We need to send the Flash a signal!"

Oliver's lips pursed as they leapt into a stairwell, the archer snapping a shot backward and tagging one of the benders in the shoulder. He landed in a roll one flight down, drawing back another arrow and firing it into the doorframe. A small explosion blocked the path with plaster and crumpled metal, allowing three escapees to gain two floors' worth of space on their pursuers.

"I don't think we have time for that!" Arrow shouted back.

They barreled through another door marked "ground," managing to make it several dozen feet without incident.

"I see the exit!"

Green Arrow took up the rear, Asami sprinting toward the exit door and slamming it open. The trio ran out into the open air, smiles on two of their faces—until they realized exactly where they were. And then they both paled and exchanged a look before staring out into a two-hundred foot drop off the side of a cliff.

"As you can see, Mister Queen—"

They whirled around to see Merlyn the Magician, bow on his back and hand on the hilt of his sword, striding toward them, flanked on either side by a Dai Li agent.

"—there is no escape for you this time."

Asami scowled. "To think I ever called you my partner." She nodded to him. "What do you think Kuvira will say when she finds out you plan to level half of her capital city?"

Merlyn shrugged. "I have a few ideas, none of which will come to pass."

"I beg to differ," Oliver growled.

He chuckled. "Even _if_ you escaped to tell her the truth, who do you think she'll believe? The vigilante she tried to have executed and the billionaire heir to a corporate empire at odds with her own, or her trusted left hand?" His head tilted smugly. "Come now, let's be real."

Former General Wade Eiling snarled from behind his younger allies. "You can't keep us here forever, Merlyn."

Merlyn smirked. "I don't intend to." He motioned to the agents on either side of him. "Kill them."

Two escapees took ready stances, Eiling keeping behind them both as they split off to defend against the two agents. Earth projectiles and walls formed as arrows and stones flew through the air like deadly confetti. Eiling leapt away from a flying boulder, Asami rolling underneath and lunging for one of the agents. A rock glove flew past her face as she juked to her left, twirling under a flat projectile and delivering a crushing elbow to her agent's lower ribs, followed swiftly by an electric glove to the face and a palm-heel to the chest, knocking him flat on his back. Two metallic _twangs_ split the air as the second agent was skewered in the arm, then tangled in a high-tensile cable.

From his place near the entrance, Merlyn sighed and rubbed a gloved hand over his face. "I have to do everything myself, don't I?" He shrugged and squared his shoulders. "Very well."

He reached back and unclipped his jet-black bow from its strap, positioning it in his left hand and making for the pair. Oliver and Asami exchanged a look, then nodded to each other. As one, they moved on him from opposite sides, Oliver opening up with a thrusting bow strike while Asami went for his legs. Merlyn blocked Arrow's bow with his own and countered Asami's strike with a hook kick to her face, sending her tumbling sideways. Oliver got up in Merlyn's face, not giving him the opportunity to let off a single arrow. At the same time, he gave Merlyn the perfect range to twist his arm several degrees in the wrong direction when he overextended himself.

Asami grappled with him from behind, attempting to throw him off-balance, but only managed to get flipped over his shoulder and sent tumbling rear-first into Green Arrow. Heat stole over both their features when they realized their—interesting position, quickly scrambling upright and resuming their fight. Somehow over the course of their melee, they managed to disarm Merlyn of his bow, but that served them little advantage, as within seconds, Oliver took a glancing sword swipe to his exposed bicep, giving the Magician ample opportunity to plant a side thrust kick in his sternum.

Seeing Arrow laid out on the ground spurred Asami into closer proximity with Merlyn, two sword strikes dodged and the final one countered when she grabbed the blade with her electric glove, sending a powerful shock through the shaft. Merlyn only stumbled back a step before shaking it off and countering her next strike with a pommel to her solar plexus. He followed with a 360 roundhouse that sent her twirling through the air and landing back-first, wind completely knocked out of her. Her vision faded in and out of blurs as Oliver charged back in, trying to defend her, but summarily getting his ass kicked. As Asami finally managed to recover to a rough crouch, she became aware of two things.

One, that Oliver was currently in a chokehold, looking on the verge of passing out. And two, a familiar voice in her ear was asking for a location. Fists clenching, she charged at Merlyn and delivered a kick to the back of his left knee, forcing him to release Oliver, then cartwheeled over his back with one arm hooked around his to throw him some six feet away. Before either archer could fully recover, she snatched the last arrow from Oliver's quiver and threw it with pinpoint precision—into the dirt at Merlyn's feet.

The Magician arched an eyebrow and gave her a sarcastic look. "Not as good at fighting as you are at business, I see."

Her eyes and tone turned deadly. "I didn't miss."

 _Beep-beep._

An explosion of force and sparks engulfed Merlyn's lightly armored body, sending him flying back a half-dozen feet and a twenty-foot-high smokestack from the place of the eruption. Seconds passed as she hauled Oliver to his feet, pulling him toward the edge after they retrieved his bow and Merlyn his own. The trio, Eiling, Asami, and Queen, all lined up at the edge of the cliff, the Emerald Archer shooting the other billionaire confused looks.

Merlyn strode toward them, stopping about twenty feet off and smiling smugly. "Looks like you're out of ideas. And arrows." His smile turned malevolent. "I'm not."

Asami tensed up and yelled, "Now!"

…

Time slowed to a crawl as three jet-black arrows launched from the released drawstring of a compound bow, streaking death toward three figures lined up side-by-side. The synthetic fletchings rustled and curled in the air, twirling their attached projectiles and sending three tri-barbed carbon impact arrows flying toward separate targets. When they closed to about five feet, their matte-black surfaces were disturbed by a faint but noticeable source of light, flickering like a golden fire rising from below.

Wade Eiling, Asami Sato, and the Green Arrow stood side-by-side, facing down death when the Scarlet Speedster reached the plateau, streaks of gold lightning arcing in front of them. An extension of the left hand, right hand, then left again, and the Flash spun clockwise as he slid to a stop, just off to Eiling's right, three black arrows in his grip.

Asami heaved a massive sigh as the others present just gaped. "Cutting it a little close, aren't you?"

Barry grinned and tilted his head. "You know I like to make an entrance." His icy blue gaze turned to Eiling.

"We'll explain later," Oliver growled as Dai Li agents began pouring from the base's exit. "Get them out of here now."

The Flash frowned, but nodded, and snatched up Asami and Eiling at once before speeding down the cliffside.

…

Oliver watched them go for a moment before turning back to a fuming Merlyn with a smug smile and shrug of the shoulders. He too turned toward the cliff edge, stopping when Merlyn yelled at his back.

"This isn't over, Arrow!"

Oliver smirked and looked over his shoulder. "Yes it is. You just don't know it yet."

With that, Green Arrow turned for the cliffside and broke into a run just as he heard the familiar grating sound of a drawstring being pulled back. He leapt off the cliff's edge in a twisting flip as a black arrow passed right under him, towing a thin cable. He snatched the arrow from the air by the rear and yanked on it hard, pulling the cable from Merlyn's grip as his twist-flip ended and he fell facing the cliffside. Within the space of a half-second, Oliver nocked and fired the arrow into the cliffside, pinching the cable between his bow-shaft and gloved right hand as he rappelled down the cliff face.

He slid like this for barely three seconds before he felt the familiar jolt of rapid acceleration sweep him off the cable and speed him to ground level, bringing him to an abrupt stop in a wooded clearing some distance from the mountain base. Oliver took a few heavy breaths, leaning on his knees and standing upright once he'd recomposed himself to see Flash, Asami, and Eiling all standing around the clearing.

"She was right," he said, motioning to Asami. "You cut that _way_ close."

Barry shrugged innocently as he pulled his cowl off. "You guys weren't exactly specific about where you were, and that signal was way too late."

"Good thing _you_ weren't." Oliver snorted. "For once."

The speedster let out a small chuckle before letting his mirth fade and turning to the elephant in the room. "Now, Eiling. Explain. Why was Merlyn holding you captive?"

Eiling's jaw clenched briefly. "Because they forced my true loyalties to shine through. Kuvira brought me on to consult on covert ops and metahuman affairs, to figure out how to make what I'd planned for the United Republic work for her nation."

"And let me guess, you found out she planned on using your methods against the very nation you swore to protect."

Eiling scowled. "That's…about the shape of it."

Asami snorted derisively. "Why would you care?"

"Because, Ms. Sato, despite what you may think of my methods, everything I've done has been for the safety and well-being of my country. The speed engine. Task Force X." His head shook slowly. "To have her so blatantly threaten my home with resources _I_ gave her was an offense I couldn't allow."

"So, kidnapping United Republic citizens like Dante Ramon for use in coercion, that wasn't doing essentially the same thing?" She snorted and crossed her arms. "You're a spirits-damned hypocrite, Eiling."

The general rolled his eyes. "Look, I _know_ how much you must hate me, and you in particular," he pointed at Barry, "but you have to believe that there are lines even I won't cross."

"We don't," they answered in unison.

Eiling sighed. "Be that as it may, you cannot afford to ignore the information I have."

Barry and Asami exchanged a look, the former speaking. "What information?"

His lips pursed. "Kuvira plans to attack Republic City in two weeks."

"She wouldn't," Oliver said. "Even with an army of her size, she couldn't possibly hope to—"

"She can," Barry interrupted, turning to him. "Today, I saw in person the superweapon she's been developing for just this occasion. It's capable of _unquantifiable_ levels of destruction. Punched a building-sized hole clean through a mountain."

Asami and Oliver both gaped.

"Exactly," Eiling confirmed. "Now do you see why I had to defect?"

"One thing doesn't make sense," Asami said. "Why would Kuvira come after the United Republic? I mean, sure, they've considered taking offensive action to forcibly remove her from power, but she's a savvy enough politician to know they'll never actually do it."

Eiling scowled. "That—you can thank her _other_ advisor for."

Oliver frowned. "Advisor? What other advisor?"

He actually paled a little, slowly shaking his head. "I'd never seen him before a week ago, but then he practically marches into her throne room like he owns the place and starts giving her advice that—of all things—she actually takes, hook, line, and sinker. It was _his_ idea to assault Republic City."

A cold feeling stole over Barry as his lips parted. "Wait…what does this guy look like?"

Eiling gave him a look. "Tall, well-built, black hair—with a beard."

His eyes widened in horror.

"Calls himself, 'Vandal Savage.'"

All present nearly recoiled.

"You know him."

Asami's lips pursed hard. "He's a breacher from Earth-One, murdered several people when he arrived in Republic City and nearly killed Korra, Mako, and Barry when they tried to apprehend him. If he's whispering in Kuvira's ear, this is bad. _Really_ bad."

"Yes, well, when she took his advice over mine, decided on the invasion, I tried to leave. Merlyn caught me."

"And that's how we found ourselves all locked up in the same secret prison," Asami finished.

Eiling nodded.

Barry's lips pursed as he chewed all this over, eventually turning to Eiling with a sharp look. "Thank you—for telling us." He turned to his sister. "Asami, we need to get back now. Arrow, you got him?" He waved at Eiling.

Oliver nodded and grabbed his arm.

Eiling shook it off with a shocked expression on his face. "What the hell do you think you're doing? That's _my_ city she's threatening. If you think I'm just gonna lay down and let you _freaks_ do all the work—"

"Then we are absolutely right," Barry interrupted. "As point of fact, consider it a personal favor that I'm leaving you in Green Arrow's custody."

Eiling gave him an incredulous look.

Barry snorted and smirked. "Come on, General, let's be real. After everything you've done, all the people you've harmed, and turning _traitor_ to boot? You come back to the city now, and defector or no defector, you _will_ spend the rest of your life in prison. In the Earth Kingdom, you at least have the ability to start over, to try and not repeat the same mistakes you made in Republic City."

"He's right," Asami added. "He's giving you a second chance that is _entirely_ undeserved. To be clear, I will _never_ forgive you for _any_ of it. But in spite of what you've done, he— _we_ are offering you an out." She snarled and got up in his face. "So in the names of Tony Woodward and all the other people you've made to suffer, don't you _dare_ waste that chance." Asami pulled away and turned to Barry, who'd pulled his cowl back on. "Let's go."

Barry nodded and let his eyes flicker to Green Arrow and Eiling for a moment before they took off.

His earpiece clicked on a few moments later.

"Barry, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Chief. What's up?"

"We're heading back to Republic City. Where'd you get off to?"

"Sorry I bailed. Saw you guys get out and something else came up, but I'm headed back too."

She sighed in relief. "Good. Hey Barry."

"Yeah?"

A moment's hesitation. "You were right. Last night, what you told me. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, or overnight, but…I'm gonna try."

He grinned from ear to ear. "Good. Nothing would make me happier."

Lin grunted, staying silent for a while. "Now get back to the city. We may have won today, but the mission's not over. Not by a longshot."

Barry chuckled and sighed. "It never is."

…

Republic City

Six days passed by in a veritable blur of activity, fast enough that even the Flash was having a hard time keeping up. Tensions were high in the upper echelons of the city as the full might of the United Forces was moved to the city by sea. Evacuations were underway, progressing as well as could be expected in a city of multiple millions, though running much more smoothly with the help of Prince Wu, of all people. Barry certainly hadn't expected him to step up nearly as much as he did, but perhaps there was something to be said about having royal blood after all. His own job had mostly consisted of assisting with the evacuation, reinforcing the police wherever necessary and keeping people as calm as they could be under the circumstances.

Living with Wu for as long as he had hadn't been nearly as intolerable as Barry had assumed it would be. He'd mostly kept to himself and Mako's extended family or was diverted by the detective or the chief for some duty or another. What little Barry _had_ seen of him, both as himself and the Flash, more than supported Mako's original declaration. As point of fact, it somewhat blew it out of the water. When push came to shove and the chips were down, Wu could be more than "okay," he was almost kingly. Almost. There were still moments were Barry considered the possibility of moving into Flash HQ until Kuvira was deposed.

At this particular moment, Barry was with Lin and Tenzin in his civilian guise, helping, of all things, to set up Raiko's temporary office in the tower at Air Temple Island. The president was a little peeved about it.

"I _still_ don't like having to abandon my office and the city."

"Air Temple Island is the ideal location for your base of operations," Lin pointed out. "And you'll be safe here."

Barry heard more than saw the members of Team Avatar ascending the tower.

"There's something we need to discuss with you," said Korra.

"What is it?" asked Tenzin.

"The four of us have been talking and...we want to take out Kuvira's spirit weapon before it gets too close to the city."

Tenzin's voice sharpened. "That sounds like a risk we don't need to take. The evacuation is on schedule, and General Iroh is getting his army in place."

"I _know_ Iroh can go toe to toe with Kuvira's army, but that weapon—"

"It's too powerful!" Bolin interrupted. "It can destroy the city!"

"We _can't_ let it get to our doorstep," Mako added.

"We'll sneak behind enemy lines and disable the weapon," said Korra.

Barry stopped what he was doing to look over at them.

"If it works," Asami said, "it'll even the playing field."

"But if you get caught—" Tenzin started.

"It's worth the risk," Korra insisted.

Raiko took a step toward them, tone grave. "I agree, and it might be our only shot at preventing an all-out war." He gave them a nod. "Good luck."

Korra looked back at him with a hard expression. "We'll head out tonight."

Barry chewed his cheek for a split-second before taking advantage of Raiko's turned back and super-speeding the rest of the work done by the time the second ended. When the president turned back around, Barry dusted his hands off and strode toward the group.

"All done, Chief."

She turned to him. "Good. I appreciate you taking the time to do this, Allen."

He snorted and laughed. "Like I had a choice. See you later."

Lin nodded and turned back to move toward Raiko, Tenzin giving Team Avatar a small bow before doing the same.

Barry followed the foursome down the stairs, waiting until he was sure the officials were out of earshot before speaking. "So, we're gonna be kickin' some ass tonight." He grinned. "Want me to scout it out first or just wing it?"

Korra exchanged a look and nod with Asami before answering him. "Actually, we want you to stay here."

He immediately frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Tenzin wasn't wrong when he said there was a chance of us being captured," Mako pointed out. "In fact, chances are good that this mission will fail one way or another, possibly quite horrifically."

"All the more reason for me to come, right?"

Korra's head shook. "If we fail, and we're captured or otherwise detained, Republic City needs a last line of defense. That's you, Bear."

Barry frowned harder.

They stopped at the foot of the stairs, Korra turning to face him fully.

"Look, Barry, you know I wouldn't be asking this if I didn't think we could handle it. But better safe than sorry, right?"

Barry looked to each member of Team Avatar, all of them giving him the same return expression as Korra. He rolled his ice-blue eyes and sighed hard. "All right. But you better come back, and in one piece." He pointed at the others. " _All_ of you. If you don't, I might have to do something drastic."

"Like, run across the world in sixty seconds drastic?" Bolin asked.

He arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms, expression hard. "No, more like time travel drastic."

Asami, Korra, and Mako paled simultaneously, Bolin just looking shocked.

"Yeah, so…" Barry shifted his feet and stared at the ground for a moment before looking up at them, "come back in one piece, 'kay?"

Korra smiled a little and pecked him on the lips. "You got it, Flash."

One by one, they shifted outside, leaving Barry standing there with a foreboding feeling in his gut. When Lin came down the steps with a near-scowl on her face, he knew his feeling was about to be answered.

"What happened?"

Lin scowled a little deeper. "I just got a call from headquarters. One of our units was in transit, getting Wu back to the Sato Estate when they came under attack. The car got taken out, the prince is in the wind, and the officer is in critical condition with considerable _electrical_ burns all over his body. Three guesses who he said he saw before blacking out."

Barry frowned. "Blackout. That's _all_ we need right now."

"My thoughts exactly," she replied as they both headed for the door. "Any ideas where he could be holed up?"

The radio in Lin's car powered on seemingly of its own accord, harsh static blaring from its speakers before it condensed into something more understandable.

"Can you hear me, Flash?"

Barry's eyes widened briefly before he snarled. "Blackout."

"Quick on the draw, as always. Good. The prince here is counting on it."

"What is this all about? Why kidnap him? Why now?"

"You wanna know that? Come to the wharf, warehouse sixty-two. We'll be waiting."

With that, another burst of static filled the air before cutting off abruptly.

Lin frowned at the radio. "How did he do that? Target mine specifically, I mean. It's like he _knew_ we were here."

"Considering how meticulous he is, he probably does." Barry's lips pursed as he exchanged a look with her.

"Go," she said, understanding. "I'll get there as soon as I can."

He nodded and took off, popping and donning his suit before he even left the island. Disturbed water was left in his wake as he streaked several miles north, coming to a stop at the docks, several dozen feet outside warehouse sixty-two. Frowning, he tightened his jaw and sprinted to the top of the building, vibrating his head through a grimy window to peer inside. The prince was on the ground, hands tied, right next to Blackout. Barry pulled his head back and frowned, then took a deep breath as he made a decision. A rapid gust of wind hit Blackout from behind, and he turned to see only an open door and empty space.

It was only when he looked to his side that he realized what had happened. Prince Wu was gone, and moments later, Barry slid to a stop just inside the entrance with a none-too-happy look on his face.

Blackout, on the other hand, was smiling. "So glad you could make it. I was startin' to wonder what it would take to get your attention."

The Flash waved his arms out to his sides. "Well, you got it _now_ , Gibran. What do you want?"

He shrugged. "To make a living."

The speedster's eyes rolled. "You're _joking_ , right? I mean, seriously? At a time like this? All this unrest and tension, and all you can think about is making _money_?"

"On the contrary, it's the _perfect_ time to make money. All that tension means a lot of nervous people. And nervous people tend to be more loose-fisted with their wallets."

Barry's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Kuvira put you up to this, didn't she?"

Gibran grinned and clapped. "You really _are_ a quick one. Bravo."

"So she sent an assassin to do what she couldn't." He shrugged. "Still won't work."

He smirked. "Oh, but things are different this time."

Blackout's arms stretched out to opposite sides and weaved through the space around him, rustling his long trenchcoat with fingers clawed as the air became charged. The Flash wasted no time, speeding straight for him and arcing around when two lightning bolts lashed out at him. Barry's eyes widened after a moment or two of running.

 _No way._

Electricity filled the inside of the empty warehouse, lancing to every stray corner and metal girder, the metahuman assassin actually managing to create an interlocking electrical field around himself. With a hard exhale, the Flash slowed the world around him to a crawl, sprinting for Blackout and ducking under an arc of electricity, leaping over two others, then tackling the meta through a thin metal wall and carrying him almost a block before nearly collapsing at the massive current running through him. They both skidded to a stop on a large, open loading dock, Blackout rolling to his feet as Barry sluggishly recovered. A solid kick to his lower ribs sent the speedster rolling across the wooden deck.

An electrical strike followed a moment later, which Barry managed to roll away from before running behind him to deliver a half-dozen speed punches to his back and sides. Blackout let out a yell as his body flared with electricity, and a wave of charge exploded from his form, knocking Barry back several feet. He whipped around before the speedster had even hit the deck and hit him center mass with a lightning strike. The Flash yelled and screamed as he felt electricity flow through him, eyes widening when he started to feel the familiar sensation of power flowing _out_ of him.

"W-What are you doing?"

Blackout grinned and stopped for a while as Barry caught his breath. "Little gift from my patron, designed with _you_ in mind." He zipped down the front of his trenchcoat, revealing a vest underneath, with a constant green light and an all-too-familiar attachment. "Recognize this, Flash? It's the same turbine from that speed engine."

The Flash made to run, but Blackout stopped him with another lightning strike, Barry feeling more energy flow from his body.

"With a little modification—it was made to be portable." He stopped again, leaving Barry in a nearly collapsed state. "Little while ago, I discovered a new ability, similar to lightning redirection, that allows me to reverse the flow of electrons in anything I bend. So, all I have to do is make a connection—" he struck out with lightning, hitting Barry dead center, "—and I can draw all the electrical energy from my target." He stopped again. "Redirect it anywhere I want. In this case—" he tapped the turbine, "—this thing." He grinned. "Say goodbye to your speed, Allen."

Barry scowled as Blackout reared back for another strike, taking off to the side as lightning streaked past him, just managing to dodge the next six attacks, as he felt himself moving a bit more sluggishly. Apparently, Blackout's siphon was working. He needed to end this. Now. To that end, the Flash ran past Blackout again, crisscrossing his movements in an attempt to confuse his opponent. Lightning struck again and again, just missing him at first, then by larger and larger margins. Barry wondered at this until he looked back toward one of his former positions to see—himself.

His eyes widened as he remembered something Earth-One's Flash had taught him when they first met.

 _"I used this trick on Doctor Light a few weeks ago. See, if you run back and forth fast enough, between two or more positions, you create a—"_

"—speed mirage," Barry breathed aloud.

A smirk came to his features as he kept running between several positions, faster and faster, seeing more intangible copies of himself forming by the second. Apparently, Blackout noticed this too, because he stopped firing abruptly. The Flash smirked smugly until he saw the enraged look on the meta's face. His eyes widened when Blackout's vest flare with electricity, a massive explosion of lightning knocking him clear off his feet and blowing out quite a few nearby streetlamps. Barry groaned a little and managed to push himself upright, but found another scream torn from his throat as two powerful electrical currents struck him dead center, the flow reversing as Blackout strode toward him, both hands up.

Second after second passed as more and more power flowed from Barry into the turbine, the light on its surface flickering green as Blackout got within eight feet of him. The Flash looked him dead-on and squared his shoulders, stance hardening as his fists clenched. He released a furious yell, the electric flow shifting from blue to pure gold, and Blackout staring in mild shock as the turbine began filling up even faster. The light on the vest's front turned from green to yellow to solid red as Barry lost his footing and fell to his knees, shoulders heaving and sweat streaming down his face. He breathed hard for several seconds, Blackout's eyebrows arching as he looked down at the vest, his siphon having stopped the moment the indicator light went red.

Blackout stared at it for a moment, then looked back to Barry. "Guess that's it then. Powerless once again."

Barry stared up at him, still heaving for breath.

The assassin's head shook slowly. "What I wouldn't have given to have this opportunity so many times before." He shrugged. "Oh well. No sense mourning the past." His hands drew back, flaring three times as bright with the power he took from the vest. "I worry that you'll think is personal. Though we do have some history, I assure you it isn't. This is strictly business." He smirked. "Goodbye, Flash."

Blackout took a breath, then released it at the same time both his hands lunged forward. Two massive arcs of electricity streaked death toward Barry, heading straight for the lightning emblem on his chest. The speedster's lips curved at the irony of it as he took a deep breath.

The lightning struck.

Thunder sounded.

And Blackout was left to stare openmouthed at a charred hunk of wood where the Flash used to be.

"You know—"

Gibran's head whipped around to see the Flash picking at his nails with an irritated air.

"—I'm getting _really_ tired of people tellin' me that."

Blackout moved to strike again, but the Flash beat him to it, running straight at the lightning bolt, then ducking under it at the last second and charging shoulder-first into his lower chest. His back slammed against the shaft of a lamppost before Barry grabbed him by the collar and threw him shoulder-first into a nearby stack of crates. He ended up back-first in a solid brick wall when Barry carried and pummeled him into it repeatedly, then leveled a dozen speed punches on various locations on his torso before finally clocking him in the side of the head. Nearly unconscious, Blackout was hauled upright by the collar and made to stare into Barry's masked features.

"B-But…how? I took your speed."

Barry's head shook slowly. "You took _energy_. There's a difference."

"But last time—"

" _Last_ time, I was limiting myself. The connection between me and the source of my power was already more than half closed. Now? It's open all the way—" the Flash smirked, "—overflowing, you might say." He took Blackout's collar in both hands, shoving him against the wall again. "So, the most that you, or Kuvira, or _anyone_ can ever hope to do…is mop up the excess, and hope it slows me down enough to make a difference."

Barry heard the dull roar of a car slowing to a stop and looked behind him to see Lin leaping from her Satomobile, running toward them. She came to a stop some forty feet away.

The speedster smiled. "It's all good, Chief. Situation under control."

"Is it?"

Barry didn't even have time to turn toward Blackout before he felt a massive pain in his lower chest and flew to the side, a large electrical burn in his suit.

"Barry!" Lin yelled, sprinting toward them.

The sapping connection was active through his left hand as Blackout transferred a massive amount of electricity from it to his right. He grinned madly.

And then pointed the charged limb in Lin's direction.

Barry's eyes widened. "Chief, no!"

Lightning erupted from the assassin's outstretched appendage, its energy contained in a single, twisting arc as it speared toward Lin Beifong. The Flash took off toward her, fighting against both time and the searing pain in his lower chest as his legs moved with a desperate speed. Everything was slowed to a near-standstill, everything from the Blackout to Lin to the sawdust being kicked up by his rapid steps. Panic filled Barry's system as realization hit him; Blackout's drain coupled with his injuries were slowing him down. Not too considerably so, but even with all his speed, the bolt's head start had been _just_ enough.

He couldn't possibly reach her in time.

Time marched on, and the nanoseconds dragged to milliseconds as the deadly lance of electricity streaked death toward Barry's adoptive mother. A scream of despair built inside him—and then he glanced back, and realized _exactly_ what he had to do. His legs moved faster, his arms speeding up to match. His hands began to vibrate at massive speeds, golden arcs of electricity curling around them. The scream of despair morphed into one of determined fury, building in his chest as the bolt closed to barely eight feet from Lin's armored chest. The Flash leapt toward her, both hands outstretched and fingers curling around the front of the lightning, just behind its head.

His feet skidded against the ground as he hit the deck, using his momentum to pivot and shift his body counterclockwise. Both hands kept vibrating as they clenched around the lightning, its flow shifting and arcing with his movements. With a final burst of movement and fury, the Flash released the yell bursting against his chest and threw Blackout's lightning.

Right back into its source.

Blackout screamed and flew back into the brick wall, hitting his head hard and rolling to the ground unconscious. Barry and Lin gaped in shock at the sight for a few moments before the latter spoke.

"Barry?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you just—"

"Redirect lightning? Yeah."

A moment's pause. "Did you know you could—"

"No."

They exchanged a long look, then released simultaneous breaths of relief, both moving toward Blackout's immobile body. Barry crouched over him, pulling aside one side of his trenchcoat, then stopping abruptly as his eyes widened in alarm. The red indicator on his vest was blinking. Fast.

"Oh no."

"What is it?"

Barry's lips pursed. "I think we have a big problem. The vest he has on right now is basically a gigantic rechargeable battery, but that lightning strike I just threw into it just burst its capacity." He looked up at her. "It's gonna overload."

Lin frowned. "Why does that scare you?"

Barry turned back to the vest, which was blinking faster now. "Because the storage unit is the speed engine's turbine."

Her eyes widened.

"That much power…the detonation would be _huge_."

"How huge?"

Barry's head tilted briefly. "I can't say for sure, but...best guess?" He looked up at her. "Bye-bye Republic City."

Lin paled visibly.

The Flash turned back to the vest, vibrating it off Blackout's body. "I gotta run it out of here." He hooked his own arms into its straps and strode toward the water's edge.

"Barry, wait!"

He turned back to her. "That's not an option."

A worried look crossed her features. "If the blast radius on that thing is as big as you say, will you be able to outrun it?"

Barry smirked. "I ran from the South Pole to Ba Sing Se in sixty seconds. I can do it." He turned back to the waterfront. "And I know _just_ where to put this thing."

Her lips pursed hard. "Then run, Barry. Run!"

That was all he needed to hear. Instantly, the Flash took off across the water, the sound barrier left behind barely a split-second into his run as he streaked past moored battleships bearing the United Forces' crest. Massive waves were left in his wake as mile after mile passed, the vest's light blinking faster and faster by the second. By ten seconds, the target location—the ruins of General Eiling's offshore meta prison—was within sight. By thirteen seconds, the vest was thrown onto the artificial island. By sixteen seconds, Barry was booking it back to Republic City. By twenty seconds, a massive eruption of sapphire energy vaporized what was left of the ruined installation, and boiled away a large section of the water, everything within a ten-mile radius.

Lin stood on the docks, the nearly blinding light from the explosion within her line of sight, a stark contrast to the inky night sky. She stared at it for a moment, openmouthed, then flinched when she heard the boards next to her creak.

Barry sighed from his place on her left, staring into the light as it slowly fizzled out, then looked to her and shrugged with a smug grin.

Her head shook slowly as she let out a long breath. "And I thought I'd seen _everything_."

Barry just laughed.

…

1 hour later

RCPD Headquarters

"I have good news, and I have bad news."

"Good first, please."

Lin took a seat on Barry's desk, looking down at the sitting CSI. "Good news is, nobody was within the blast radius of that bomb when it went off. No casualties. Apart from fish, that is."

Barry snorted a laugh. "And the bad?"

She frowned. "Cisco called from Future Industries, told me there was a massive surge at a power station to the south. He didn't think anything of it at first, but upon closer inspection, he found something rather disturbing." She paused for a moment. "You weren't Blackout's only target."

Barry frowned and shook his head slightly. "What do you mean?"

Lin stood up and put the lab's phone on speaker, then dialed Henry Allen's number. A busy tone answered immediately.

He stared at the line, then turned his gaze to Lin. "He took out our communications."

"No, Barry. He took out our _long-range_ communications."

Barry's eyes widened. "Early warning. He was here to blind us."

She nodded slowly. "The good news is, Cisco checked, and our own private connections are all still running, but only people with Future Industries earpieces can access that frequency. Soldiers, police, border patrol—nobody more than forty miles outside the city will be able to contact us."

Barry released a heavy breath, one hand weaving through his hair as his chair swiveled back and forth. "Okay…we need to—"

A loud beep from his pocket sounded sharply, cutting him off.

Frowning, he reached in and donned an earpiece, clicking it on. "Hello?" His eyes widened. "Felicity?" Alarm passed over his features as he leapt to his feet. "Are you serious? Yes, yes, I'll be right there!" He turned the earpiece off and looked to Lin. "I need to go, right now. Oliver needs my help."

Lin stood. "But Kuvira—"

"Can wait, _trust me_!"

Without another word, he took off into the night.

…

All except for one of Team Avatar slept on the back of a flying bison, en route to the southeastern border of the United Republic. Bolin, the one person they assigned as their night-guard, was on the verge of nodding off himself, so he couldn't be sure, but he could've sworn that he saw the tiniest flicker of golden lightning passing to the north of them, on a mad dash to some unknown destination.

* * *

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash vs. Arrow – Boomerang in ARGUS: 1:41-2:10—cliffside conversation with Merlyn, 2:10-3:28—duel with the Magician, 3:28-end—"Now!" to Green Arrow's exit

The Flash Season 1 – No Time: 1:02-1:43—new powers/lightning redirected to "Run, Barry. Run!", 1:43-2:03—the Flash runs/eruption, 2:03-end—sight in the distance/"thought I'd seen everything" to Barry's laugh

AN: All right. Another massive chapter. Sorry about that. I'll explain the full reason for these especially long chapters when the story is over, but for now please bear with me. Next chapter will encompass the rest of Kuvira's Gambit and a tiny bit of Day of the Colossus. The next two—really three—chapters are going to be, in a word, FREAKING EPIC. Whoops. Two words.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the final battle of this story, because it's going to be freaking epic.

Please review this chapter. I've been keeping you guys waiting for so long and I don't want to hold back anymore.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake


	50. Leader

Leader (n.): the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country; alternatively, a person of authority who inspires courage and hope in others.

Next day, morning

United Republic territory

2 years, 7 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

The early dawn greeted Team Avatar as they passed through the mountains east of Republic City, their bison ascending above a particularly high pass with Korra at the helm and Bolin looking out with a spyglass. He gasped suddenly.

"Guys, I see something." He lowered the spyglass and pointed into the valley beneath them. "Down there!"

Asami and Mako shuffled up to the edge of the saddle, all gaping at the massive force, much of it mechanized, traversing the rugged terrain below, still distant and blurry through the early morning haze.

"Is that—" Asami started.

"Kuvira," Korra answered in a grave tone. "She's already crossed into United Republic territory. She's a week early."

Mako frowned. "This doesn't make sense. There aren't any train tracks this way." He glanced at Bolin. "How are they transporting that super weapon of theirs?"

A loud, hard thump reached their ears from a cluster of trees in the distance, near another mountain range. They all continued to stare, expressions slowly shifting to horrified when, from behind a mountain, out strode a gigantic, twenty-five-story tall metal body—with the spirit energy cannon attached to its right arm.

"Apparently on a giant mecha suit!" Asami shouted above the thunderous din of its steps.

It kept walking in line with the rest of the army, its foot alone easily as large as one of their rolling tanks, with several airships flanking its back. They all stared for a few more seconds before Mako turned to his brother.

"Did you know Kuvira was building that thing?"

Bolin turned to him, a hand against his chest as his tone went instantly sarcastic. "Oh, did I forget to mention it?" His eyes widened in alarm. "No, of _course_ I didn't know!"

Seconds later, the suit came to an abrupt stop, then started to turn toward them, the entire team frozen in place as its right arm came up to point at them, braced by its left. A sudden violet glow emitted from the cannon on its arm, and Bolin went from mildly disturbed to violently freaking out.

"I know what happens next! We gotta get outta here, now! _Now_!"

Korra yanked on the reins of the bison, pulling it back toward the west and just managing to arc away from the incoming beam, feeling the sheer concussive force of its backwash jostle them and shove the entire bison several dozen feet to one side. The shot had completely thrown their flight pattern off, but the bison managed to readjust in time to get them roughly out of Kuvira's sight line, as the second shot missed wide, slamming into and demolishing the side of the mountain instead. Korra breathed heavily, eyes wide as she began sweating bricks.

"That," Asami gasped, "was _entirely_ too close."

Everyone else simply nodded mute agreement.

Several hours later, Team Avatar's bison touched down near the president's command-and-control center, his advisors and the man himself waiting outside for them. They all leapt from the saddle and ran toward them, Korra in the lead.

Tenzin was the first to speak. "Korra, are you all right? Why are you back so soon?"

She frowned gravely. "It's Kuvira. Our intel was wrong. She must've known Zhu Li had the information."

Raiko frowned as well. "What are you trying to say?"

"Kuvira's army is only a few hours away."

Tenzin immediately paled. "No, they can't be...we're not ready."

Korra almost regretted adding this bit. "And that spirit weapon of hers is attached to a giant mecha-suit. It's over twenty-five stories tall!"

Raiko turned to Lin. "Get General Iroh on the line and tell him the attack is happening today. We need to lock down this city."

Tenzin turned to his wife. "Pema, find Wu and get the remaining citizens to safety immediately! We can't have innocent lives in jeopardy."

Each woman left for their respective tasks, leaving Team Avatar, Suyin and her twins, and the city's two main leaders.

"What should _we_ do?" asked Bolin.

"Let's go to my factory," Asami suggested. "Maybe we can get a few of those hummingbird suits up and running."

"We're coming with you," declared Su.

Asami gave her a single nod.

"I'll head to the front lines and help General Iroh," Korra said.

As one, they split off in separate directions, Korra frowning when she noted the absence of a particular red-suited figure among Republic City's defenders. She made for Lin, finding her next to a radio and getting her attention with a wave. Sending one last message to Iroh, the chief pulled away from the transmitter and got out of earshot of anyone but the Avatar.

Korra got in close, voice lowered. "Where's Barry?"

Lin frowned. "He left late last night after an…incident, said something about Oliver needing his help, wouldn't explain."

Korra arched an eyebrow. "Any contact since?"

Lin's head shook. "None. It's actually starting to worry me."

Korra frowned into the distance, seeing the United Force ships begin to move closer to the city. "He wouldn't just leave for no reason, especially if he knew what was going on here."

"I've been trying to get him on the line ever since you told us about Kuvira's advanced timetable, but he hasn't responded."

The Avatar sighed hard and turned back to Lin. "Much as I hate to say it, we can't afford to worry about him right now. We're all Republic City's got, and if we're going to have any chance of surviving the next few hours, we need to stay focused."

The chief's jaw tightened, but she nodded firmly.

The minutes dragged to hours as evacuations, troop movements, and mechanical preparations all occurred at once across the city. Tensions were at a gut-wrenching high as at last, Kuvira's full army arrived on the eastern outskirts of Republic City. The moment the giant mecha came into sight, Korra felt a visceral—and quite understandable—reaction of shock and alarm pass through the entire army. It strode from behind the mountains, eclipsing some of them with its sheer size, and came to a stop at the head of the Earth Empire army, casting a massive shadow over it.

On the radio in the tent behind her, Korra could hear Raiko addressing the enemy. "Kuvira, this is President Raiko. I order you to stand down. Turn your army around and leave."

Kuvira's reply came quickly and angrily. "You're in no position to give orders."

"Stand down or we _will_ attack."

Korra could hear condescension dripping from her reply. "I don't think you understand the power I possess. Let me make it clear."

Immediately, the mecha's right arm rose to shoulder level and aimed past the city, the nozzle of its cannon flaring with violet energy. A beam of unbelievably destructive power half as thick as a building lanced over the tops of Republic City's buildings, cutting toward the bay and cutting through a United Forces ship like it was butter. Explosions and fire erupted from two more ships as she fired another shot, and two more with the third before she stopped firing, instead turning the cannon toward the soldiers on the field.

Iroh frowned on Korra's left. "Mr. President, do I have your order to engage?"

Kuvira's voice interrupted. "You have three seconds or I wipe out your army."

Three seconds of silence passed.

"Time's up."

"Stop," Raiko interrupted suddenly. "We surrender. Republic City is yours."

A few nerve-wracking moments passed, wherein Korra simultaneously clenched her fists and scowled as once again, she lost another piece of faith in the man this nation elected to lead them. Though, upon further consideration, she realized he really did have no choice. Still didn't change how she felt.

"Good," Kuvira answered abruptly. "Turn your army and the Avatar over to me and give Baatar your location. He'll present you with our terms."

Korra scowled. "I'm not surrendering!"

Iroh turned to her. "Get back to the city before she sees you."

The Avatar gave him a nod and turned to leave.

"And Korra—"

She stopped and turned her head toward him.

"—find a way to beat that thing."

Her jaw tightened determinedly. "I will."

Ten minutes later found Korra entering a Future Industries factory on the opposite side of the city from Kuvira's Colossus. Varrick, Zhu Li, Cisco, Tenzin and his airbenders, and the rest of Team Avatar turned to her with similarly shell-shocked expressions.

Korra frowned. "Raiko surrendered. It's down to us now."

Bolin immediately began hyperventilating. "How are we supposed to fight an entire army, a mecha-giant, and that crazy weapon?"

"We _can't_ fight it," Asami answered. "But maybe we can cripple it." She turned to Varrick's former assistant. "Zhu Li, when you were spying on Kuvira, did you learn anything about that metal monster?"

She frowned. "I had no idea they even _building_ it."

Varrick pouted a little. "Guess Baatar Jr. is a better inventor than I thought." He pointed a finger at the rest. "Don't tell him I said that."

Korra gasped in realization. "That's it! Baatar Jr. built it—he'll know how to take it down. I say we capture him and get him to talk."

Tenzin gave a thoughtful hum.

She turned to him. "I know it's a longshot, but it's the only chance we have and if we don't—"

"Korra," he interrupted, "I'm in."

Korra smiled and turned to the others. "We'll need a stealth team of airbenders to get in and out of Baatar's airship unnoticed." She looked toward the airbenders in question. "Tenzin, Bumi, Jinora, Kai—let's get moving."

Ikki and Meelo, the only airbenders not picked, pouted, the latter speaking up. "What about me?"

Korra smiled and leaned over him. "Sorry buddy, but this mission counts on everyone being as silent as possible. And your farts are just too much of a wild card."

"I can be quiet!" he exclaimed petulantly, immediately cut off by the flatulence in question and deflating with a blush. "Okay. Point taken."

…

As Korra and the airbenders moved off to launch their mission, Cisco and the others peeled off to their respective tasks, the metahuman engineer yelping a little when his arm was grabbed and he was yanked around a corner of the factory. Started, Cisco nearly smacked the guy that grabbed him, stopping when he saw the brown leather jacket he was wearing.

"Hal?"

The ace pilot glanced around nervously, eyeing Asami from around the corner and confirming she was busy, then turning to Cisco. "Hey, uh…I need something to do."

Cisco shrugged. "I don't know there's anything you _can_ do. Unless you're trained to fly one of _these_ things." He motioned to the hummingbird suits.

Hal frowned. "I'm not." His brown eyes lit up in a mixture of excitement and determination as something occurred to him. "But I think you just gave me an idea. Something that might already be operational. I just need your help to put it together."

Cisco's brows furrowed. "Dude, what are you talkin' about?"

Hal grinned. "Let me show you."

…

10 minutes later

Korra and her airbenders sat on the back of a flying bison, descending through the clouds to pull up on Baatar's airship from above.

She turned to her people once they moved to hover over it. "Is everyone ready?"

They nodded, and she leapt from the saddle, extending her glider and flying toward the airship with four highly trained airbenders in tow. They landed on the metal hull of the ship with barely a scuff, Korra using her metalbending to pop the lock on a top hatch. She motioned them inside, everyone silent as they entered one by one, Bumi and Tenzin followed by Korra, while Jinora and her boyfriend stood watch outside. The trio came up to a corner at the bottom of a staircase, Korra watching a guard walk by before motioning the team forward. All three proceeded whisper-quietly down the left of the hall, Korra clearing the next corner and proceeding.

She spotted their target at the end of the hallway, keying in the combination for an elevator. Korra dashed forward and metalbent its doors out of shape when it began to close, Bumi and Tenzin rushing in and gagging him before he could cry out for help as they rose to his personal quarters. Bumi pulled a large sack over his entire body, the team making its way to the exit hatch and air-blasting him up to Jinora and Kai. Moments later, they were off the ship and flying back to Asami's factory, not a single slip or hitch in their plan. Nevertheless, Korra kept glancing back at the airship, expecting at any second for alarms to start blaring and troops to fire on them, or worse, that cannon.

She breathed a massive sigh of relief when neither happened, and they made it back to the factory without a hitch. As the team stood across from Baatar, who was glaring at them, Korra strode up to the restrained Beifong and pulled his gag off.

He immediately scowled. "You've made a terrible mistake. Once Kuvira finds out I'm missing, you're all done for."

Everyone glared back at him, even members of his own family. _Especially_ his family.

Korra frowned. "That's why before she finds out, you're going to tell us how to stop that mecha-giant, or else."

Baatar smirked. "Or else _what_?"

Korra's eyes narrowed briefly before lighting up pure white as she tapped into the Avatar State. She lunged at his chair and picked him up by the ropes around his chest, effortlessly lifting him and the chair above her and holding him there for several seconds.

Baatar's initial shock turned to arrogance when he smiled. "You won't hurt me. I know an empty threat when I see one."

Korra stared at him for a few more seconds, then let the glow in her eyes fade and tossed his chair to the ground with a frustrated groan.

Baatar kept smiling. "Was this your best idea?" He chuckled smugly. "You've lost, only you haven't accepted it yet."

Korra heard the clink of armor from behind and felt Su at her side.

"Let _me_ talk to him," she said.

Korra stepped back, still glaring at the inventor, as his mother approached.

Suyin knelt in front of her son, sympathy and a pleading expression in her eyes. "Baatar…"

He snarled in response. "If you think I'm going to spill all my secrets to you, Mother, you're sadly mistaken."

" _Why_ are you doing this? I _know_ you set out to help better the world but this is _madness_!"

"It's madness to let others take what's yours and accept it blindly." He glared at her. "The United Republic belongs to us. And we're taking it back."

"But at what cost? How many people have to lose their _lives_ before Kuvira is satisfied?"

Baatar leaned toward her slightly. "It doesn't have to cost _any_ lives if you would all just surrender." He softened just a little. "All that Kuvira and I want is a united Earth Empire."

Su looked down. "I don't know what I did to hurt you, but whatever it was," she looked back up at him, "I'm sorry. When you left Zaofu, it broke my heart. And our family has never been the same since. _Please_ , Baatar. Stop all of this and come home."

Baatar frowned off to the side.

"We want you back with us."

He kept silent for another second or two, then looked to his mother with an intense anger. " _Kuvira_ …is my family now."

Korra stared in mute sympathy as she saw tears slide down Su's cheeks, eyes widening as realization hit her. She turned to Tenzin. "We're going about this all wrong." She strode toward Baatar as Su pulled back to join the others. "You're right. I'm not going to physically hurt you if you don't talk." Korra stopped and placed her hands on her hips and smirked malevolently. "But there _is_ something I can do that will be even more painful." She leaned down toward him, placing her hands on the armrests of the chair. "I will take away the one thing you care for the most—Kuvira."

His expression instantly turned to one of surprise. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Kuvira might win. She might chase us out of the city. But you won't be around to enjoy the victory."

Baatar frowned as he started to see where she was going.

"Because wherever I run, I'll take you. I'm going to make it my life's _mission_ to never let you see the one you love again." She stood up straight, hands fisted at her sides. "Is taking the city worth losing Kuvira forever?" She saw the panic in his eyes and crossed her arms.

"You _can't_!" he protested, lunging forward and only stopped by the ropes around his chest.

"I _will_ ," she replied. "Unless you _convince_ Kuvira to back off." Korra hesitated for a split-second before making a somewhat distasteful decision. "You two will _still_ have the Earth Empire, just leave the United Republic alone."

Baatar sat there frozen, eyes wide as he stared up at her with a slack-jawed expression. And then his head and shoulders sagged in defeat, and he slumped over in his chair. "All right," he said in a near-whisper. "I'll do it."

Korra softened and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're doing the right thing. I promise."

…

Scant minutes later, Asami was watching as Korra held a portable radio to Baatar's ear, tuned to the frequency Kuvira used.

"Kuvira…it's Baatar." He hesitated for a moment. "I've been captured. My airship was ambushed and I was taken by force. Korra refuses to release me unless we back down and leave the city."

"Are you injured?"

Korra was genuinely surprised to hear the softness and concern in her voice. She was beginning to think the woman wasn't _capable_ of such emotion.

"I'm fine," Baatar answered.

"Is the Avatar there with you now?"

"Yes," he replied. "Everyone is here." There was silence on the other end for a few moments before the broken man continued. "Listen to me. If you try to take Republic City, the Avatar will never let me see you again and I refuse to live that way. Forget the United Republic. We have our Empire. We have each other. Let's go back home and get married." He smiled wistfully. "The only thing that matters is that we're together for the rest of our lives."

The line fell silent once more, long seconds passing before the commander's voice was heard. "You're right," she said, in a soft, almost cracked voice. "This city isn't worth sacrificing our life together. I love you, Baatar."

The line went dead, and a massive sigh of relief passed through the entire room. Korra began untying Baatar, and Asami let herself relax for the first time since she'd first seen the Colossus.

"As soon as we work out terms with Kuvira," Korra told him, "we'll let you out of here."

Barely a second later, and Mako was shouting as he backed away from the window. "Guys! She must have our location—she's pointing that weapon right _at_ us!"

Baatar snapped toward the window, everyone staring at the mecha suit in the distance. "No! She _wouldn't_!"

As the cannon on the suit's right arm flared with violet energy, Asami knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that yes, yes she would. And then, before anything could happen, before anyone could scramble toward an exit or so much as scream in terror—it happened.

A massive explosion blossomed on the right shoulder section of the Colossus, instantly throwing its aim off as the cannon's energy dissipated. The suit began turning in different directions, and everyone looked on in confusion at the sudden eruption. That is, until the still-operating radio crackled to life, and a familiar voice made Asami's jaw drop to the floor.

"You know, they say people are willing to kill for love, but killing the _guy_ you love seems just a _bit_ overkill."

Asami's green eyes flipped to the radio, then locked onto a small gray shape moving across the sky—from the direction of the airfield. It took her almost two full seconds to formulate an answer, and when she did, she was shouting. " _Hal_?!"

A ring of smug laughter was her first answer. "The one and only, baby! Whoooooo!"

The gray shape descended toward Kuvira's machine, a spyglass allowing Asami to see the situation up close as a familiar aerodynamic design dive-bombed toward the Colossus. Two complex machines on its wings flared with small sparks of electricity as high-velocity metal projectiles spat from their thin barrels, pelting the armor of the mecha suit from above.

 _That crazy fool…he's using the_ prototype _._ And _the new magnetic accelerator guns._

To her mild surprise, Kuvira was actually taking notice of Hal's assault, waving the suit's arms in an effort to crush the plane. But, as expected, the ace pilot expertly twisted and weaved away from her attacks, arcing off to get some distance before coming back for another attack run. Asami got over her shock by the time he let off the second salvo with his guns, her emotions ranging (quite visibly) everywhere from surprise to fear to outright anger. She went with the latter.

Her hand reached out and snatched the radio transmitter, teeth gritting together. "Just what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"Uh…savin' your life, by the looks of it. No need to thank me."

He fell silent for a few moments, dodging a cannon blast from the suit and recovering from the concussive backwash a little sluggishly before flying away to reassess.

" _Thank_ you?! Do you have any idea what that machine can do?"

"Why yes, as point of fact. I'm puttin' her through her paces right now."

Asami's teeth ground against each other. "I meant the _suit_."

He had the audacity to laugh. "I know. So what are you still talkin' to me for? Get your people outta there!"

His words snapped Korra to action, and the Avatar immediately began ushering people out of the building, everyone running.

Asami turned to her friend. "But—the suits—"

Korra frowned and shook her head. "I don't know how good of a pilot he is, but chances are, Hal won't be able to keep this up for long. We can't take them, 'Sami."

Asami frowned and looked back to the suits, then nodded grimly, still clutching the radio on her way out. When they were about a block away from the factory, they hid behind another building, Asami peering around the corner to see Hal still locked in battle with the suit.

Her head shook as her face and entire body began to heat up with the force of a dozen different emotions. Anger was still the only one showing. "Hal," she growled, voice slowly turning less angry and more desperate, "you better enjoy that plane while it lasts, because as soon as you touch down, you are _so_ fired!"

Hal gave out another chuckle, nerves audible in his voice. "Can I get my severance pay in kisses? 'Cause that kinda seems like the only payment worth havin' after I go through this much trouble."

Asami groaned in exasperation, and looked behind her to see Korra, Bolin, and Mako all staring at her with knowing expressions. She immediately glared and pointed at them. "Not. A word."

They shrugged, Korra replying with a grin, "I didn't say anything."

Asami rolled her eyes and looked back out at the air battle, anger steadily and rapidly replaced by worry.

…

Hal slammed on the throttle of his experimental fighter, feeling the electromagnetic jet turbines serving as his propulsion send the machine lurching forward as he accelerated away from another arm-swipe. His guns pummeled the Colossus with semi-automatic fire before he pulled up and away from the suit, ascending further and getting some cloud cover between him and the homicidal maniac at the helm of that monstrosity. Eventually, when he got to around a thousand feet off the ground and over a mile from the mecha, he arced back toward Kuvira and aimed every weapon he had at the suit, arming every bomb in his weapon bay. The Colossus came within sight in moments, the plane speeding toward it as the clouds parted to allow him a line of fire.

He heard the supersonic crack of his guns as he opened up on the suit once more, his attacks not actually doing much damage, but enough to focus her attention solely on him. A determined scowl came to his features as he flipped the cover on the switch that would release the rest of his bombs, smirking malevolently as he closed to about a thousand feet.

"Beware my power, assholes."

Right before he could flick the switch, the Colossus' cannon flared with energy, and he barely had enough presence of mind to jerk the stick sideways before the edge of the beam disintegrated his entire left wing.

…

From her front-row seat on the docks, Asami stared agape as the plane's wing simply vanished from existence, the fighter smoking and spinning out of control as it careened past the suit and off the battlefield. The fringe of an explosion was seen behind a single mountain peak moments later, and she could do nothing but gape at the smoke rising from the crash until a barrage of emotional turmoil hit her all at once.

"Hal," Asami croaked in a half-whisper, voice rising rapidly as she brought the radio to her mouth. "Hal. _Hal_!"

She screamed his name into the device over and over again, hot tears burning their way down her cheeks as her shoulders began to shake and her knees gave out. Korra and Mako caught either side of her, helping her to keep standing, but all she wanted to do was sink to the ground and never get up again. Her shoulders heaved with sobs and desperate gasps of air, not even the cool breeze enough to calm her even slightly. As an eerie, deafening silence fell over the entire city, a single noise from her hand both grated on her nerves and served as a point of interest that steadily held her attention. Static filled the speaker of the radio for several seconds before it resolved into something understandable.

"Hey boss," cough, "you there?"

Asami—and everyone else—stared at the device.

"Hello? Are you ignoring me?"

Asami brought the radio to her mouth and rather numbly clicked the transmitter button. "Yes."

An amused chuckle sounded over the waves. "Can't ignore me when I'm back up in your face, though. Gotta admit, it was a helluva rush takin' that thing out for a test spin."

She sighed hard and closed her eyes. "You're an idiot."

Hal's voice softened. "Only when it comes to you."

Asami felt relieved tears prick at her eyes as she bowed her head, feeling all the blood rushing to it making her dizzy. Then something he said finally registered. "Stay away from the city."

"What?"

Her head shook. "I mean it, Hal. If Kuvira's army spots you coming from the direction of that crash, they'll kill you without thinking twice."

"But—Asami, this is my city. It's my _home_."

Her voice hardened. "I _know_ , Hal. It's my home too. And I promise you, I will do everything in my power to take it back. You know I will."

"Asami—"

" _Please_ , Hal." She was begging at this point. "Please just stay safe. For me."

Silence came from the other end for a while. "Okay. Okay. Just come pick me up when it's over. In the meantime, I'm gonna use my newfound vantage point, get myself a front-row seat to the action."

Asami let out a watery chuckle, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. "You do that. And Hal?"

"Hm?"

Her eyes slid closed as a grateful smile split her face. "Thank you."

"Anytime, gorgeous. What do you say we grab a drink when the smoke clears?"

Asami again looked back to see her friends grinning at her knowingly. She again glared them back. "If today keeps going like it's been, I'll be lucky if I don't buy out the whole bar."

Hal laughed. "I can get behind that."

"Stay safe, Hal. Asami out." With that, she clicked the radio off and let out a long breath of relief, gripping Korra's steadying hand on her shoulder and shooting her friend a smile.

Tenzin dropped down from a building he'd used as a vantage point to land in the middle of them, a wild look on his face. "Kuvira's heading our way with a platoon of mecha-suits and soldiers."

Asami turned to him, all business now. "What should we do?"

Bolin frowned. "This is my hometown, and I hate to say it, but there's no use risking all our lives to fight that giant thing. Let her take the city for now." His look turned fierce as he brought the bottom of his fist into his palm. "We'll think of some way to come back and beat her."

Mako turned to him. "What about all the people who haven't been evacuated yet? If Kuvira finds out Wu is with them, she might fire that spirit cannon at _him_ and take them _all_ out."

Korra outright scowled. "I couldn't stop Kuvira from taking Zaofu. I'm not letting her conquer Republic City. The world isn't safe as long as she has that weapon."

"I agree."

The group turned to see Lin descending from a nearby building, landing next to them.

"We take down that giant _today_."

Korra's face split in a grin. "Lin!"

She smiled back. "Glad to see you all made it out. You had me worried."

Varrick spoke up. "Well, you benders are gonna have to fight her alone. She just blew up our factory with all our hummingbird suits."

"Not _all_ of them," Asami corrected, thinking hard. "There are the prototypes back at my office. If we can get those ready to fly, we'll at least be able to offer a little air support."

Korra nodded and turned to the other Beifong matriarch. "Su, you take Baatar Jr. and the rest of the wounded back to Asami's office. Get those suits working as soon as you can. The rest of us will just have to face Kuvira on our own."

She frowned, turning toward the bay to see the Colossus crossing the water and a myriad of mecha suits and soldiers crossing a bridge to get to them. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Asami noticed.

"Korra…what are you thinking?"

The Avatar didn't turn toward her friend. "You and the others are gonna need time to prepare. We won't get it unless we have some way of slowing Kuvira down."

"Okay," Mako replied, "and?"

Korra turned to face them. "She wants the Avatar so bad? She can have me."

They gaped at her as one, Bolin speaking up. "Korra, that's _insane_. You can't turn yourself over. Not _now_."

Her eyes widened. "Oh no, that's not what I meant at _all_."

"Then what _do_ you mean?" Lin asked.

Korra smirked malevolently.

…

Two minutes passed after Team Avatar broke apart for their various duties, Meelo actually getting the help of the other benders with some scheme involving paint and balloons. Korra didn't quite know where he was going with it, and at the moment, she wasn't going to question it. She had problems of her own. Like how to halt the advance of an entire army by herself. After taking her travel time to think it over, she decided on the direct method. Using her air glider to get her within striking distance, she left the staff on an easily accessible rooftop and air-blasted her way to the end of the bridge.

Right in front of Kuvira's entire army.

The mechs and soldiers all came to a stop as Korra stood in the middle of their path, some two-hundred feet away from their front-most battle line. The giant mecha suit also stopped, its imposing twenty-five-story form towering over the bridge and everyone on it. A brief whine was heard before the suit emitted something from a set of external speakers.

"Are you here to surrender, Avatar?"

Korra scowled and clenched her fists. "What do _you_ think?"

"I think you're making a very foolish decision right now. One borne from a sense of courage and duty, but foolish nonetheless."

"That all depends on where you're standing."

Kuvira sighed. "Republic City is _mine_. President Raiko surrendered it himself."

"It wasn't his to give. It _still_ isn't. Not as long as there are those brave enough to defend it."

"If you continue on this course, you can give me under an hour before there _aren't_ any."

Korra's head shook. "You know, I used to think that you were a hero. You saved my father from the Red Lotus, brought peace to the Earth Kingdom when they knew nothing but chaos. But now I see what Zaheer had meant when it came to those in power." She frowned. "You've been _corrupted_ , Kuvira."

The commander snorted. "So the truth comes out. Tell me, when did the world's 'foremost authority' on bringing order start sharing opinions with an anarchist?"

"When I began to understand why he thinks the way he does."

"So, you would kill me, too, rather hand the reins of control over to the people, who plunged the Earth Kingdom into chaos in the first place? Why am I not surprised."

" _No_ , Kuvira. I wouldn't." Korra scowled. "Because unlike Zaheer _and_ you, _I'm_ —not—a murderer."

There was silence from Kuvira's end.

"Is it worth it? Is all the power and influence and order truly worth all the lives you've taken? All the lives you _will_ take?" Korra's features softened. "Dissenters. Soldiers, innocent men who were, to use _your_ terminology, 'just following orders.' Your own _fiancé_." Her arms crossed in judgment. "Starting to look like a lot of red in your ledger that you just can't cross out, no matter what good you do after."

"Enough," Kuvira interrupted sharply. "All this talk of ledgers and philosophy is boring me. Stand aside or be destroyed. Or do you think you're more powerful than the weapon I now wield?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Physically? Maybe not. But I have more spirit—no pun intended—than you and all of your soldiers combined. Because I'm not doing this out of fear. I'm doing this out of hope. The hope that some way, somehow, this world _will_ be put back in order, whether by my hand or someone else's. And that's a goal I'm willing to lay down my life for."

"Good. Because you will."

"What makes you so sure?" Korra asked with a smug smirk.

Kuvira snorted. "Korra, you couldn't beat me before in a fair fight when I was alone and on _foot_. How much less with this weapon and an entire _army_ at my back?" She laughed. "It would take the Flash to give you even the smallest prayer of _surviving_ , much less winning. And I don't see him on hand, do you?"

Korra's jaw clenched for a moment before she opened her mouth to speak. She was cut off rather abruptly by a sudden gust of wind that blew the train of her leggings through the air. Her head turned and heart nearly leapt from her chest when she saw him: red suit, gold lightning, with an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry I'm late," Barry said with a shrug. "Had to help out a few friends." He turned toward the giant suit and raised his voice. " _Some_ of whom, by the way, saved _your_ capital city last night." He shrugged his arms out to the sides. "You're welcome."

Korra could hear the doubt in Kuvira's voice's skepticism. "I don't know what game you're playing, Flash, but even with both your powers _combined_ , you stand no chance of defeating me alone."

Korra exchanged glances with him and arched an eyebrow in agreement.

He just grinned and turned back to Kuvira, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Who says we're alone?"

Korra's head cocked as she wondered at his question, several noises drawing her attention in opposite directions as her eyes steadily widened. Over the course of about thirty seconds, fire, ice, earthbending, and zip-lines brought seven figures into various locations around the bridge's exit. The Avatar outright gaped at them all before turning to a confidently smiling Barry and arching an eyebrow.

"So _these_ are the friends you meant."

He just grinned and stood erect, chest out and shoulders squared toward the enemy as Korra took a long look at the new arrivals. On a building behind her on her left were Firestorm and Frost, both flaring with their respective elements. The buildings on her right were occupied by Arsenal, Lyla Diggle—the Harbinger—and John himself, who was wearing a new armor suit with a t-visor she barely recognized him in. And finally, on the structure at her back stood Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, twirling an arrow into his quiver, and a blonde woman in black she immediately recognized from Barry's descriptions as the Black Canary.

When she turned forward, Korra immediately recognized that the soldiers and mecha pilots were fidgeting uncontrollably, and a large, malevolent grin spread over her face as a result. This standoff lasted for several seconds in a tense silence, but one that allowed Korra to fully absorb the intoxicating surge of hope thrumming through her system.

When she finally spoke, Kuvira _actually_ sounded nervous. "Destroy them all!"

The Flash fell into a runner's stance at Korra's right hand, a determined look on his face as lightning danced in his eyes.

The Avatar just turned forward, clenched her fists, and screamed, "For Republic City!"

And as one, they all charged the enemy.

…

The Flash was the first to crash into enemy lines, a high-speed blow to the head of an armored captain knocking him directly unconscious as he tore through an entire column of soldiers in the time it took for the others to catch up. Arrows, both green and red, imbedded themselves in Earth Empire soldiers left and right, their senders moving in on zip-lines that spanned the supports and taking potshots at the soldiers before descending to ground level. Firestorm flew around clusters of enemy troops, sending fire and explosions into groups and mechs alike as their entire force was thrown into disarray.

Frost followed her husband's example, blocking off incoming metal and earth projectiles with ice walls and using her powers to freeze the armor of mecha suits, making them brittle enough to be shattered by earth attacks from Spartan and Harbinger. The Black Canary leapt into the middle of a half-dozen soldiers via a zip-line sent by Green Arrow, using dual kali sticks but preferring to employ her bare hands. A Future Industries device around her neck flared with energy when she became surrounded and shrieked at the top of her lungs, sending over a dozen men reeling in pain and clutching their ears.

Green Arrow and his protégé stood back-to-back with each other near Black Canary, taking on the enemy in hand-to-hand and firing the occasional trick arrow at a mech that came too close. Oliver turned around, toward the bulk of the enemy's forces, when he heard heavy mechanized movement closing in far too fast. His hand froze around the fletching of an arrow as his jaw dropped. There was Korra, levitating on a torrent of air in full Avatar mode, with a large section of the bridge elevated to block their passage. Her hands arced upward briefly before fisting and suddenly falling in a wave pattern, that same pattern mimicked in the movements of the bridge's concrete as a wave of unstable floor bowled over Kuvira's entire encroaching force.

The Avatar's feet touched down as her eyes stopped glowing, the Flash coming to a stop on her right as the Green Arrow took his place on her left. Black Canary stood to the left of him, with Frost and Firestorm left of her. On Flash's right were Arsenal, Spartan, and Harbinger, everyone standing at the ready in a single line as Kuvira's army sluggishly regained its footing. The Avatar exchanged looks with the Flash and Green Arrow, each giving her a nod. Without exchanging a single word, all nine heroes surged forward, to victory or death.

* * *

Musical Inspirations:

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies - Missile Launch: Massive explosion/Hal battles the suit/"Beware my power"

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths – Finish What the Jester Started/Main Title: 0:39-1:09—"who says we're alone" to "the friends you meant", 1:09-1:36—Barry grins/superhero panorama, 1:36-2:09—"Destroy them all" to Arrow freezes, 2:09-2:22—Avatar State/concrete wave, 2:22-2:40—heroes line up to end of chapter

AN: Well…damn. I can't believe I'm saying this, but we're coming down to the last three chapters here. And then a (hopefully) short epilogue. I really, really hope you're enjoying this. Running down to the wire, I was so worried I wouldn't be able to do the scene I had in my head justice, and _boy_ was I wrong. I hope.

Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter. It'll encompass Day of the Colossus and not much else, though while wrapping up a few loose ends and bringing a few more characters into play. I am so hoping that you guys are feeling as strongly about this as I am, because holy crap we're almost done. Again, explanations on why the chapters are so long will be forthcoming, probably at the end of the last chapter, but when you realize the underlying reason, I think you'll understand.

Please, _please_ review this chapter. Really, review all of these chapters. The sooner you review, the sooner I post more.

 _Oya, vode._

\- CDrake

P.S.: Hal's quote right before he gets shot down—shameless steal from _The Flashpoint Paradox_. Awesome movie. Probably never gonna do that storyline myself, but awesome all the same. Also, to a loyal reader, I hope you liked Hal's shining moment. You know who you are. ;)


	51. Infinite

Infinite (adj.): limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.

10 minutes later

Republic City

2 years, 7 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

It was a semi-cloudy day that dawned on Republic City, cool, but not outright freezing. By the early afternoon, the weather had turned sour, whether by accident or some force of nature responding to the chaos in the city itself. The sky had darkened, the cloud cover thickened somewhat, and if anyone had been flying over that area, they would likely have only been able to catch glimpses of the metropolis between thick clusters of suspended water droplets. If they'd descended just a little further, though, beneath the cloud cover, they'd have caught notice of several things.

One, that smoke was rising from various parts of the city. Two, that a gigantic metal figure as tall as a skyscraper was currently moving in a section of the city rather dense with buildings—all empty at this point. And three, through various twists and turns in the city's grid-like structure moved an impossibly fast red blur, gold lightning following in its wake. On the ground, car windows and glass from the adjacent buildings shattered in the backwash of his movements, thunder cracking behind him as he went supersonic—and not for the first or last time that day.

The Flash flew down one street after the next, taking a left, right, left, and running in a straight line down a long avenue.

"Barry. Barry!"

He slid to a stop a second after Cisco's warning voice entered his ear, putting a finger to it. "What? Did I miss it?"

"I said they were on Red and _Sixth_ , not Sixteenth."

Barry sighed and rolled his eyes in self-frustration. "My bad."

He took off in the opposite direction, crossing a bridge and glancing at the Colossus to his left before arcing away from it and running down another series of streets. He sprinted up the side of a six-story building, using its slanted roof as a springboard for a long jump as his enhanced perception slowed his surroundings to a crawl. Below him, Green Arrow and the rest of his team faced off with a full platoon of soldiers and mecha suits in a large, open square, their fight frozen as he was suspended midair, gold lightning leaping from his back. Normal time resumed its course a moment later, the Flash landing on another building and running down to stop suddenly and punch a soldier who'd snuck up on Oliver.

Ollie glanced over his shoulder and gave Barry a nod before drawing back two arrows and firing them into their respective targets.

"Glad you could make it," said the Green Arrow.

Barry arched an eyebrow and dodged two earth projectiles sent his way, managing to redirect one into another attacking soldier. "So I got a little held up getting Hal a safer seat to watch from. Bite me."

Oliver cracked a smile and fired another arrow into the joint of a mecha suit, its head going red-hot in seconds and exploding on a more local level, sending the arm of the suit flying off. A high-pitched screech was heard from another direction, Barry turning his head to see Black Canary holding back an entire cluster of nonbending troopers with her Canary Cry. Arsenal and the Diggles were in a nearby parking structure taking on three mecha suits, with a group of Earth Empire soldiers backing them up. Their battle was bleeding into their surroundings, mostly thanks to the mecha pilots, and though Digg and the other two were trying to contain the collateral damage, it was clear the building wasn't going to hold up to the strain much longer.

The supports started to crack and fray as more earth projectiles and heavy steps resounded through the concrete structure as the Flash sprinted around the square, delivering blows to soldiers and mecha alike, planting miniaturized explosives he'd borrowed from the airfield when he went to retrieve Hal. Joints and critical servos shattered, rendering many of the machines crippled or inoperable as Green Arrow and Black Canary went back-to-back. A massive crash came from the direction of the parking structure, and the Flash turned to see the building start to buckle and give, its supports collapsing from the bottom up.

Green Arrow noticed too. "Spartan, get out of there!"

Arrow's team was on the fifth floor of a six-floor structure, with Earth Empire soldiers there as well as two floors below theirs. Arsenal managed to fire a cable arrow and leap from the railing in time to avoid the collapse, Diggle throwing his wife clear, but getting caught with debris to his back.

Time slowed to a crawl as the collapse reached the third floor, a bolt of gold lightning flashing up the side of a wall and leaping off several pieces of falling debris to throw the occupants of the building from its confines. Barry vaguely remembered doing something similar two years back, in a burning building, but he hadn't been anywhere close to this fast back then. A grin split his features as he cleared three whole floors within seconds, Diggle the last one to be sped outside the building and set down next to Green Arrow and the rest of the team as the building collapsed on itself. Oliver stared at the building, then at Barry, then the building, and back to Barry.

Oliver smirked and shook his head slowly. "Showoff."

The Flash grinned and gave them a two-fingered salute before taking off into the city, toward heavier rumbles and the giant mecha suit currently under assault by a combination of airbenders, metalbenders, and his metahuman allies. That cursed cannon opened fire on a building with airbenders perched atop it, and they scattered, swarming around the suit in a scattered pattern to keep Kuvira from targeting any one group. Barry's earpiece was flooded with frenzied orders and shouts of warning from a dozen different sources. His eyes alighted on Firestorm and Frost, the latter of whom was attempting to freeze a joint, then let her husband send an explosive fireball at it.

The tactic might've worked if the building they were perched upon hadn't been struck through with a giant metal arm. Firestorm picked up Frost and flew away with her, Korra and the metalbenders throwing everything they had at it. Barry kept running around the suit, coming to a stop on a building overlooking the chaos and frowning in concentration. He tapped his earpiece a moment later.

"Korra, did Baatar give anything up on the internal workings of that suit?"

She grunted on the other end. "Sort of. Said it was hollow in most parts to allow movement for its crew."

He grinned. "Keep pummeling it. I got an idea."

"Barry?" she asked concernedly.

"Just watch."

The Flash moved to the back edge of the roof he was perched on, coiling up in a runner's stance and taking a deep breath. He released it upon takeoff, accelerating to a massive speed and leaping from one building to another to build up more before launching himself at the suit and vibrating his molecules. His right arm reached out as his body reached phasing frequency, fingers brushing the metal of its left leg an instant later. His smile turned to a pained grimace when he rebounded off the metal, a powerful electric shock running through his body and tearing a yell from his throat.

…

"Flash!"

Korra saw him go down, body smoking as he fell almost eight full stories to land hard on top of an abandoned car about a block from the suit. She gaped at his immobile form for a while, shock and terror sparking through her blood.

And then she saw Kuvira turn her cannon toward him, and an entirely different kind of spark emerged.

The weapon warmed and flared with energy for only a moment before ice, explosions, and massive chunks of concrete slammed against its arm, the sheer force sending it swinging away from the Flash. Korra roared as she entered the Avatar State, taking the remains of the cars on Barry's block and sending them wrapping around the machine's right arm, linking the metal together and forming a gigantic chain that anchored it to a nearby building. Kuvira's suit recovered faster than she'd expected, tearing sections of the anchor building off and aiming at the Avatar. Korra dashed away on dual flame columns as she felt the backwash of the cannon's blast pass over her.

Korra had to repeatedly remind herself that Barry had survived worse than that fall. For now, Kuvira was distracted with the Avatar and the others. Buying him time to wake up and get out of there was all she could hope for.

…

The first thing Barry was aware of upon regaining a modicum of consciousness was pain. Every time he took a breath, he was practically gasping with it, and when he managed to push himself upright, it only intensified. When his eyes opened, he became aware of something else: an entire column of Earth Empire soldiers and mechs approaching barely twenty feet from him. Two of the frontal mechs raised their weaponized arms, electric blasts charging up over the course of several seconds. Barry could barely breathe. If he tried to run, he'd inevitably end up harming himself further.

Resigning himself to painful unconsciousness at best, he stared the enemy full-on, one arm grasping his ribs. What happened next sent his jaw tumbling to the ground.

A familiar charge and whir from behind preceded the eruption of a glowing beam that coated the suits—and the entire street—in a thick wall of ice. Barry gaped at the sight before slowly turning around to see…

"Snart?" He blinked. "Rory? Black?"

The aforementioned Rogues, as well as Captain Boomerang and a few choice others, rushed toward and past him as they engaged Kuvira's forces with considerable gusto. Captain Cold stopped on Barry's left as he stared at the sight. Barry slowly turned to him in shock.

"Why?"

Snart sighed and clutched his gun to his chest. "Because you're a pain in the ass…but you're _our_ pain in the ass." His head turned to face the ice wall when the mechs started to break it down, right arm holding his weapon at the ready as he snarled slightly. "And like it or not, this is _our_ city."

He angled the gun down and fired one-handedly, freezing another two mechs in place and brittlizing their armor before Blacksmith went full-metal and pummeled them with blows that shattered their metal shells.

Cold gripped his gun in both hands and started moving toward the fight. "Go be a hero, Flash." He snarled malevolently. "We'll make the bastards pay for every _inch_."

Barry eyed him for another couple of seconds, feeling his breathing become less painful by the second. "Thank you."

Snart just gave him a nod and resumed firing as the Flash took off toward the mecha.

The metas and their backup were throwing everything they had at the suit, Bolin lavabending the ground beneath the suit's left foot while Lin and her metalbenders coiled cables around its legs. Korra entered the Avatar State and directed a gigantic blast of air at its upper section, sending the suit stumbling back as Firestorm and Frost added their powers to the mix. Kuvira recovered by arcing the left foot back and planting the suit's stance, using a nearby building as an armrest before angling the cannon at Korra's perch, a large tower some three or four blocks away.

Barry watched in horror as the building—and a good portion of the city behind it—was reduced to little more than ash and rubble, Korra and the surrounding airbenders barely managing to escape the blast in time. He took off in a still-painful run to see Korra collide feet-first with a nearby building, earthbending its brick surface to slow her fall, then air-blasting the ground as she rolled to a stop. The Flash descended to ground level, gaping when he saw Bolin and Lin rush to an immobile Opal.

Barry turned toward the suit, which was approaching, and pursed his lips. "We need to fall back. That thing's armor is too tough for us to breach, and I can't phase through to take it out from the inside. We need a new strategy."

"Agreed," said Korra. "Take the wounded back to Asami's office."

"I'll meet you there," said Lin. "I'm going to see if I can find help."

Barry nodded and grabbed two unconscious airbenders, slinging them over his shoulders as he turned to Firestorm and Frost. "The Rogues and Team Arrow are fighting Kuvira's troops a couple of blocks away. Focus on her army for now. That suit'll be useless if she doesn't have a force to occupy the city with."

The metahuman couple exchanged a confused look, then nodded to him and took to the skies in a burst of flame as the suit rounded the corner of the block, looking down at them. Barry and the others took off running, his gold-rimmed form clearing half the block while the rest were carried out by the other benders. The cannon fired and demolished the entire street moments after they rounded the corner.

…

Five minutes later, the ragged band of wounded and operable shuffled into Asami's tower, having just seen an entire column of mecha suits go down via electromagnetic pulse. Varrick really was a wizard with electricity. Barry could testify to that personally, especially since that same technology had just been used to prevent him from entering Kuvira's suit—which was still coming.

"Varrick," said Bolin, "how come your electro-thingy shut down the small mecha suits but not the big one?"

"Because it's powered with spirit vine energy," said Baatar, Jr. from a seat in the center of the room. "I'm sorry. I wish I could help you, but it's unstoppable."

"It's not."

The entire room turned to face the speaker, one Hiroshi Sato, who was being escorted by Lin.

Asami stared at him. "Dad?"

Lin stepped up beside him. "I got him out of jail to help. I figured we need all the geniuses we can get our hands on right now. If the prison's still standing after all this is over, we can throw him back in."

His eyes slid closed solemnly. "I know what you all must think of me, but I love Republic City, and I would do anything to save her."

Barry looked to Lin. "And you're sure you're okay with this?"

Her jaw tightened as she nodded slightly.

"Um, Chief?" Cisco said, pushing his way to the front of the group.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

"If uh…if that's your opinion, then I think I know one other person who'd be chomping at the bit to help." Cisco smiled a little and gave Barry a wink. "After all…she _is_ a soldier."

Barry's eyebrows shot skyward as a look of realization passed over Lin's features.

The chief nodded. "I'll go with you."

Cisco and Lin exited the building, leaving Hiroshi alone with the rest of them.

Korra turned to him abruptly, crossing her arms. "You think you know how to defeat this thing?"

"You must act like an _infection_ : break the skin and attack the vital organs. Disconnect the heart and the brain and this beast cannot live."

"But—how are we supposed to get inside?"

"Future Industries has plasma saws for cutting platinum. If we had one on the mecha-suit—"

"But the saws are _way_ too big," Asami interrupted, striding toward him. "We'd never get the suits off the ground."

Hiroshi placed a hand on his chin. "I think I can add an electrical element to the welding torch on your suit and convert it into a plasma saw. Then we'll just have to land on the giant and cut open a hole big enough for someone to get in."

"Like a metal mosquito," she concluded.

"You know what happens to mosquitoes that land on me?" asked Varrick in a concerned tone. "I squash 'em!" He punctuated this statement by pounding a fist into his other hand.

Korra turned to him. "We'll have to attack in a swarm to try to keep you guys safe in the hummingbird suits. It looks like they're our only hope."

Barry shuffled off to a far corner while the engineers peeled off to their task. He leaned against a wall, hissing a little in pain, but smiling as he saw father and daughter working together, as it always should've been.

"Well _you_ look pretty smug for a guy who just got thrown off a building."

Barry turned to Korra, who was looking at him with a mixture of amusement and worry. He grimaced. "Yeah, not one of my better moments."

She snorted. "Obviously." Korra frowned and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Chest still hurts, but it's getting better by the second now. And we seem to have earned a breather for the moment."

Korra nodded back, still frowning, and curled her arms around him, pressing the side of her head into his chest rather intently, eyes closed.

Barry arched a curious eyebrow as he returned the embrace. "You feeling okay?"

"Just making sure there's a heartbeat. And that there's nothing off." She pulled away, still frowning a little as she gingerly glided one hand over his chest. "Last thing we need right now is for you to get a punctured lung because of a cracked rib we didn't address."

He brought one gloved hand up to push hair out of her eyes. "I'm fine. Trust me."

Korra nodded and exhaled hard, leaning into his chest again. "Did I hear you wrong earlier, or did you actually say that the _Rogues_ are fighting Kuvira's army?"

Barry chuckled. "Nope, didn't hear wrong. I still can't quite believe it myself. Guess it's a bit of a pride thing, ya know? Nobody destroys the city but them, or something like that."

"Whatever the case, we're not exactly in a position to argue."

He frowned. "No, we aren't."

They stayed that way for a while, arms around each other as they listened to the other breathe. If anyone looked in their direction and questioned the sight, they weren't obvious about it, and as it stood, the only people in the room who didn't already know Barry's identity were Hiroshi and maybe Baatar. Scant minutes later, an alarmed airbender dashed into the room.

"Kuvira is headed our way!"

Barry and Korra rejoined the group, the latter frowning and turning to the Satos. "How long will it take to get the plasma saws ready?"

Asami turned to Korra with her welding mask still on. "Just a few more minutes."

"Get out there as soon as you can."

Baatar spoke up. "If you do manage to get inside, find the engine room. There are two emergency levers. If you switch them off at the same time, you'll cut the power."

"Thanks." She turned to the rest of the group. "We may not be able to beat that thing, but we can slow it down. Let's go!"

Barry was about to take off and join them when his earpiece turned on.

"Flash, you there?"

He tapped the lightning earpiece. "Yeah, Arrow. What's up?"

"Task Force X just arrived. We're holding them back all right for the moment, but the help they're giving to the larger force is turning the tide against us. We could really use your help."

Barry frowned. "They would be a whole lot easier to stop if we could just get the bombs out of their necks." His eyes widened as an idea occurred to him. "Oliver, did Eiling say anything else about them when you brought him to Ba Sing Se? I mean…he commanded them, right?"

"Yeah?"

"So who manages them now?"

Oliver hesitated for a moment. "Savage."

Barry's expression shifted in alarm. "Perfect," he sighed. "Speaking of, have you seen him anywhere on the field?"

"No."

Barry frowned. "That's not good. If he's from Earth-One, then he already knows what's about to happen, which means he can warn Kuvira and help her turn the tide against us. We can't let that happen."

"What are you thinking?"

He bit down on his lower lip, looking out the window to see flashes of bending and cannon fire as Korra and the others engaged the Colossus. "That we need to remove Savage's influence from the equation. Do you have any idea where he could be right now?"

"Hang on." A half-minute of silence passed before Oliver spoke again. "According to Firestorm, he was seen on the way in, leading a group of mechanized troops at the rear. If they kept their formations right, Savage should be crossing the Silk Road bridge right now."

Barry smirked. "Good."

Oliver adopted a worried tone. "Barry, what are you thinking?"

"That we need a little leverage of our own."

…

The Green Arrow frowned as Barry's line clicked off, turning to face the enemy as a red-tipped arrow flew right past his face. He returned fire with two of his own, managing to slice Deadshot in the arm with one when he stepped between her and the arrows. High-speed metal pellets flew in Oliver's direction as he dive-rolled behind cover, sending an exploding arrow into a building support to drop massive amounts of concrete into the path of several incoming mecha. Enemy earthbenders and the rest of the Suicide Squad assaulted Team Arrow's position with everything they had.

Explosions, boulders, arrows, and metal all twisted together into a deadly frenzy that reduced the actions and thoughts of both sides to little more than survival instinct, who was on your side and who wasn't. Oliver put arrows into the enemy left and right, Deadshot managing to graze his upper left arm a moment before Diggle put a drop-kick in his chest. As they duked it out up close and personal, Cupid lined up a sucker shot on Spartan, but Harbinger put a quick stop to that when she used her metalbending to snag the redhead around the arm and thrash her into several hard surfaces. Bronze Tiger leapt and slashed through her cable, rolling to dash toward Lyla full-tilt.

She backpedaled and handsprung back before putting both forearms up to block a double downward slash on his part. Oliver managed to snag a cable arrow around his stabbing forearm and yank hard, giving Lyla an opening to slam a large collection of bricks into his chest. Arsenal and Black Canary were going to town on Shrapnel, but neither could get close thanks to his earthbending backup and the grenades he kept tossing in their direction. And then the mecha tanks broke through, and they found themselves on the receiving end of a whole different kind of trouble.

Oliver's lips pursed as he readied the last of his explosive arrows, wishing that Firestorm and Frost had stuck around a bit longer. The couple had problems of their own, though, with several tank divisions heading to Central City Station to intercept the evacuation. As soon as Oliver had heard about how many forces were being sent there, he practically ordered them off. At this point, he started to regret that decision. That is, until three large beads flew down from a nearby rooftop, their surfaces aglow with a curious violet tint. They exploded moments later, blowing a whole line of mecha off their feet.

Green Arrow looked up to see a red-haired woman—quite the looker—leap from a nearby fire escape and roll on the ground before taking up a place beside him.

He arched an eyebrow. "And you are?"

She glanced at him. "Bette. Codename Plastique." Bette smiled a little. "I'm a friend of Cisco Ramon."

A smirk tugged at Oliver's lips as he faced the enemy once more. The two of them let off arrows and exploding beads into the crowd of mecha and soldiers again and again, forcing them back step by step until something occurred to Green Arrow.

"Can you combust anything you touch?"

Bette glanced at him. "Yeah?"

He grinned and nocked three arrows. "Touch the heads of these."

Her eyes widened as she caught on, passing her fingers on the flat sides of each arrowhead and setting them aglow with violet energy. Oliver drew back the bowstring, taking a deep breath as he targeted the three head mechs. A metallic twang heralded their rapid flight into three separate leg joints, the arrows exploding brilliantly on impact and shattering the legs of the machines, effectively blocking the path of the rest. Taking a look around, Oliver felt a surge of alarm when he saw his teammates being pushed back and actually injured, Arsenal stepping between Black Canary and an explosion that erupted entirely too close.

Spartan was hit in the shoulder with a bullet that went straight through his armor, and he retreated behind a hastily formed earth wall. Harbinger was tangling blade-to-blade with Tiger, her gauntlets having formed swords, but Oliver could tell she was getting tired. Just as he was about to order them to pull back, a lightning-rimmed red blur streaked across the debris-strewn field, to each member of the Squad, then came to a stop in the middle of everything.

"It's over!" shouted the Flash. He opened his right hand to reveal four miniature bombs, about the size of a yuan each. "I found the trigger and disarmed them. You're free."

The Squad members and Earth Empire soldiers alike stared at him for a few seconds before it sank in.

And then…Task Force X turned around.

And their former allies ran.

Deadshot was the first to fully recover, placing a hand to his neck and letting his jaw drop when he no longer felt anything hard pushing back. "You…" he turned to the Flash, "you did it."

"I told you I would," he answered. "Now what do you say we get a little payback?"

Shrapnel was the first to respond. " _Hell_ yes. I'm sick of being used like a puppet in Kuvira's idiotic 'moral army.'" He tossed an explosive up and down in his right hand, grinning madly.

"Well in that case…"

Team Arrow re-formed opposite the Squad, Diggle giving Lawton a very particular kind of stink-eye while Oliver just stared at Barry.

The speedster smirked, his expression dropping to sheer terror at something he undoubtedly heard through his earpiece. He didn't say a single thing before taking off in a storm of lightning and kicked-up dust.

…

7 minutes earlier

The now-familiar ominous rumble of the Colossus' steps reached Korra and a line of other benders, including the metalbending Beifongs, Mako, and Bolin as it rounded a corner to walk onto their street. The mecha turned to face them fully, striding slowly and with purpose as their line stood firm.

 _Come on,_ thought Korra as it kept walking. _Come on…just a little closer…_

The moment its massive metal body closed to a certain distance, everyone except Korra vacated the street, splitting off in different directions as the Avatar summoned a mini-twister of air beneath her. The air currents built until she was hovering just off the ground, and with a furious baring of her teeth, her eyes flashed with pure white as she entered the Avatar State. Her sudden burst of power definitely caught Kuvira's attention, since the suit aimed its cannon directly at her moments later.

 _That's it_.

Korra got some more distance between her and the ground, a pillar of air sending her flying down the street at a rapid pace as the cannon flared with spirit energy. The deadly beam and a series of explosions followed her two blocks before she took a left and rounded a corner. The shockwaves threw her flight pattern off just slightly, but she easily recovered with a midair twist, landing in a solid earthbending stance that instantly sent six massive, truck-sized chunks of rock into the air. Keeping her grip on them steady, she launched off the ground with two massive blasts of flame, landing on a nearby building with the projectiles in tow.

One after the next hammered the torso and head of Kuvira's suit until Korra was out of shots. A cluster of airbenders flew in from a nearby building, catching Kuvira's attention as she swatted at them and giving Korra time to assemble more ammo from the very roof she was standing on. Five more chunks of stone and concrete levitated around her as the suit's right arm pointed in her direction, cannon flaring with energy. Eight airbenders came in from above, towing massive air currents that combined to form a downward-flowing tornado. As they swept past, the sheer force of wind left in their wake sent the arm of the suit pointing into the street and threw the entire mech off balance. It crashed and leaned into the side of a nearby building, remaining there as the airbenders circled around her.

Korra nearly laughed when she saw Meelo plastering his face to Kuvira's front windshield. Evidently, she didn't see the humor in it, and tried to flatten him with the suit's left palm. Meelo ejected and flew away as Kuvira's cannon followed his flight path. He arced off quite smartly, but Jinora and Tenzin were about to be caught in the beam. Tenzin tackled his daughter out of the way, but the backwash from the blast must've jolted them quite seriously, because they started outright free-falling. Alarm rushed through Korra until Ikki and Meelo snatched them from the air, the Avatar letting out a small breath of relief, then turning her attention back to the suit.

Kuvira strode down the street, dismissing the airbenders, and Korra could practically see the suit strutting—that is, until the Beifongs and Bolin dropped half a _building_ on it. Kuvira desperately tried to hold the massive projectile back, but inevitably, the suit was buried under several hundred tons of concrete and steel, remaining still. Korra took several heavy breaths, a small flicker of triumph flowing through her. And then it moved, first its arm, then the rest, thrashing its way from the rubble as the benders' group re-formed on the ground. Korra and the others gaped in horror as it stood back up, barely a scratch on its armor.

"Oh, you've gotta be _kidding_ me," Bolin exclaimed.

"Guys," Korra started, " _run_."

…

Future Industries Tower

Asami watched in unabashed glee as a newly re-fitted plasma saw sliced straight through a foot-thick platinum plate. She took a moment to admire the sight of its two halves falling apart, then smiled and turned to her father, who was at the helm of the saw.

"If we stop that mecha-giant, it will all be because of you."

Hiroshi smiled back with pride. "You're the one who designed these incredible suits." He put his hand on hers and smiled wider. "It's great to be working together again."

She felt a hard tug in her chest, warmth filling her as she too grinned wider. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too."

There was so much more she wanted to say, so much more _to_ say. But they'd have more than enough time for that when all of this was over. At least…that's what she told herself as they got back to work. Barely half a minute later, her attention was yanked to the other side of the room, her eyebrows skyrocketing and jaw dropping uncontrollably when she found Varrick and Zhu Li in a tight lip-lock, a jade ring around the ring finger of her left hand. She gawked for another couple of seconds before shaking her head and getting back to work.

 _Love truly is the strangest thing in the world._

Asami looked back to see her father smiling at the control panel of his section of the suit. She smiled too.

 _And,_ she decided, _the greatest._

…

Korra watched from a distance as Wei and Wing swung on opposite sides of a building, their earthbending cutting symmetrical lines through its top in an attempt to drop it on the suit. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to finish due to another cannon blast severing their cables. Lin dove for their free-falling bodies, using her own cables to catch them on the way down while Su shielded them from falling debris. At this point, they'd lured the Colossus into a crossroads, and their airbender compliment was flying in circles around it, trying to keep it there. A rapid whirring from behind drew Korra's attention, and she turned to see Asami's hummingbird suits flying toward their battle.

Kuvira noticed as well, and turned the cannon toward them, but the pilots dodged the shot quite gracefully, one suit immediately aiming to land on the Colossus' back. It set down with dual magnetic clamps, its plasma saws moving into position and starting to cut into the suit's armor. Korra nearly screamed in alarm when she saw the suit reach back, its palm swiping directly toward them. They disengaged just in time, the other suit attempting the same tactic on its front right leg, but meeting the same results. Korra's lips pursed as Asami's suits flew around the Colossus like flies, staying safe but getting nowhere.

 _We need to keep that thing perfectly still._

Her eyes widened as she glanced behind her, seeing exactly what was needed to buy them time. The suit kept advancing as Korra ran toward the nearby river, and apparently the pilots had caught onto her plan, because they were luring Kuvira in the same direction. When the Colossus was practically standing right on top of it, Korra braced herself and waterbent every scrap of liquid she could reach into a massive geyser that engulfed the suit's legs, chest, and shoulders in ice, effectively immobilizing it. Unfortunately, Kuvira managed to get one shot off, and the wings of one suit were blown off, and Varrick and Zhu Li ejected just before it crashed.

Frowning, Korra sent another eruption of water at the mech's right arm, encasing it almost entirely in ice. By process of elimination, she determined that the occupants of the second suit had to be Asami and her father—who it was still weird to work with. Despite her initial misgivings, though, Korra had to admit, if they managed to pull this off, she might just appeal to President Raiko on his behalf for a full pardon. The suit landed without incident, its saws beginning to slice through. Which was when the first cracks in the ice began to form. Korra's eyes widened in alarm as she tapped her earpiece.

"That thing's gonna get loose!"

…

Asami looked up at the giant mech's right arm in horror, confirming that it was, indeed, beginning to break the ice. She looked down at her father, who was at the controls of the saw. "We need to get out of here!" she yelled, unaware that her own earpiece was on an open line.

"Almost there!" he replied, the beginnings of a circular hole forming.

Asami looked up again, heart pounding in her chest as chunks of ice began falling off the arm's shoulder. One impacted the windshield, sending her heart into another series of vastly uncomfortable palpitations. "We have to go _now_!

"Almost there… _almost_ there!"

The hole was nearing completion, so painfully close…

A massive sound like a thousand windows shattering at once reached Asami through her mech's shell, and she looked up to stare in horror at the now-freed arm that was charging back to flatten them into a metal pancake. "Dad! Now!"

In response, her father did something that…truly, she didn't know she'd ever be able to forgive.

"Goodbye, Asami. I love you."

A split-second later, Asami's stomach lurched with sudden acceleration, and she stared in horror, arms outstretched as the outside of the hummingbird suit came into her vision.

"Daaaaaaad!"

Her seat's parachute deployed a second later, but she didn't notice. She couldn't. All she was aware of as she drifted toward the ground, arm outstretched, was the place where her father had been. All that was left was that giant accursed hand, and when that left, a flattened, twisted chunk of metal that slid off the leg and fell to the ground like so much insignificant flotsam.

Barely ten seconds later, she touched down in a nearby street, numbly unbuckling her safety restraints as Korra and the other benders rushed to her side. Korra and Mako helped her upright, but she didn't see or hear them, kept staring at the remains of her mech. When her eyes did move, it was to the leg, and if her heart had been crushed with the suit, it was shredded to a billion pieces as soon as she saw it.

The hole was incomplete.

Anger, despair, and untold grief warred within her as she looked to the ground and desperately tried to stabilize her breathing at the behest of her friends, already nearly collapsing to the ground for lack of proper air flow.

 _All that…_ all _of that…and he didn't even—_

"Asami?"

Her green eyes went as wide as they could go—perhaps wider—as she and all the rest slowly turned around. Asami's mouth went as proportionally wide as her eyes when she saw them.

Hiroshi, with a handful of cuts and dust.

And the red-suited figure that was holding his left shoulder and right arm.

Asami didn't even wait for him to release Hiroshi before lunging for him and wrapping her arms around his body so tightly, a distant part of her mind was worried she might break something. Relief and elation and the desperate urge to scold her father and lock him back in prison for his own safety warred within her. That is, until her leaking eyes opened to see the Flash standing a few feet away, smiling gently at them. She gulped past the massive lump in her throat and managed to hold her sobs back just long enough to assemble coherent words.

"Thank you," she gasped raggedly, tightening her grip around Hiroshi a little. "Thank you."

Barry smiled wider and nodded, his gaze hardening a little. "No one else dies today."

It felt like hours before father and daughter broke apart, but was really only a few seconds, all of them turning to face the suit and the new problem they had.

Hiroshi turned to the Flash. "While I…appreciate what you did for me, I'm afraid your interference may have had some unfortunate side effects."

Barry nodded slowly, eyes never leaving the suit. "We can work with this."

"How?" Asami asked, voice more stable. "We have no more plasma saws, or suits to get them up there."

He smirked dangerously. "You said it yourself two years ago. Any material, if struck at high enough velocity, can be compromised."

Asami gaped at him.

"That unfinished hole is a structural weakness." His eyes narrowed in steadily building fury. "One that I intend to exploit."

"I'll do my best to keep the suit in place," Korra said, turning to the rest of the group. "You guys get cover. This is gonna be messy."

Asami nodded to her and guided her father away with the rest of the benders as the two most powerful people she knew prepared to do the impossible. She stopped short halfway to a nearby alley, turning to look at her brother.

"Barry!" she called.

His attention was grabbed immediately, eyes briefly flickering to her father—who'd just heard his real name—before focusing on Asami.

Asami half-scowled, a vengeful fire in her eyes. "Give that thing one for me."

…

Barry smirked malevolently and gave her a single nod before turning toward Kuvira's suit.

Next to him, Korra braced herself for a massive feat of icebending. "Run, Barry."

Lightning danced in his narrowed eyes as he took a deep breath and coiled up.

"Run!"

…

The Flash took off, the gust of wind left in his wake actually sending Korra sliding back a few steps as he ran around the suit in a never-ending circle. His body accelerated well past the speed of sound as the wind whipping around the Colossus accelerated to typhoon-level proportions, kicking up dust and debris in equal measure as his lightning trail became a never-ending ring of gold.

…

Inside the cockpit of the mecha suit, Kuvira stared down at the light show with suspicious eyes, deciding her curiosity wasn't worth the wait and aiming down at the ring with her cannon. Her right fist clenched as violet energy built in its barrel, its glow lighting up almost the entire block.

…

The Flash saw the glow as soon as it began to build, and the world around him slowed to a crawl as he looked for a straight lane. He spotted one a split-second before the suit fired, and took off on one of his hundredth rotations to streak down a long avenue, glass shattering in his wake.

…

Kuvira watched him go with even more confusion, his lightning trail going all the way out onto the water beyond the city's limits. Her green eyes narrowed.

 _What is he…_

A sudden horrified realization dawned on Kuvira as she looked down at the suit's right thigh to see the half-done hole. She looked back up, gaping as she stared at the golden flare on the horizon. And felt a surge of panic when she saw it turn around.

…

The Flash waited until he was miles away from the city, but still within visual range of the Colossus, before turning back in a ring that sent a giant wave arcing away from his path. The machine grew larger in his vision as his fists and jaw clenched hard, a massive column of disturbed water rising fifteen feet high as he flew toward it at a blinding speed.

…

The red blur was getting closer, approaching the city much too fast for Kuvira's liking. She allowed another split-second of gawking before her head snapped to her primary engineer.

"More power!" she screamed with increasing alarm.

The man relayed the message, hands flying over the controls, and for just a moment, Kuvira thought it would work. Which was when she looked down to see the glowing eyes of the Avatar, who was singlehandedly holding the suit in place with the ice still coating its legs. Kuvira's breathing accelerated to nearly hyperventilating proportions as she aimed her cannon at Korra. A flash of gold flickered in the edge of her vision, and she looked between them haphazardly before turning the weapon toward the incoming red blur.

…

The first shot was dead on, but at this point, the beam's passage was far too slow to pose any real danger. The Flash turned on a fork to another street parallel to that one, still accelerating. Another blast came his way, but that one was avoided as well when he ran through the empty space left by a completely demolished building, back onto the main street. As he closed to just within two miles, another shot spewed from the spirit cannon, this time directly into his path. Barry lunged for an adjacent building, running up it diagonally and jumping from one edifice to another, not once losing a bit of speed.

He set his sights firmly on the target weakness, legs churning with the fury of a protective brother and the full power of the Speedforce at his back. Leaping away from another blast to the other side of the street, he landed on a building and sprung off on contact, feeling lightning engulf his entire body in a massive cocoon of pure energy. A microsecond later, he leapt from the edge of the building, barely a quarter mile from the suit, and released an air-splitting roar as his right arm cocked back and eyes turned pure gold.

…

In the tenth of a second that the Flash was midair, Korra barely saw the faintest hint of red, so to her eyes, Kuvira's Colossus was struck in the leg with a massive bolt of blazing gold lightning. Her focus was nearly shattered along with the ice as the shock of the thunderous impact reverberated throughout the entire suit, Korra by some miracle managing to hold it together until the massive vibrations stopped. Her eyes faded to their normal cerulean blue as she took a few moments to catch her breath. In that time, the others moved from the alley they'd been taking cover in and stared with her at the now-mangled but very much open hole in the suit's upper right thigh.

"He…he did it," Mako whispered in disbelief. "He actually…"

Korra had recovered by this point, and felt a new sense of ironclad determination seize her. "There's our opening. Now's our chance!"

As one, every bender present launched off the ground using their respective elements, Korra launching herself on a column of air and landing on the still-immobile leg. She ushered the others forward, a metallic groan from above catching her attention just in time for her to icebend a pillar of frozen water into the path of an incoming metal hand. The Avatar held it in place, chips and bits of ice cracking and falling off as she strained, a quick glance confirming that everyone else was already inside. With a hard exhale, she leapt toward the hole, hearing the pillar shatter behind her just as she made it in.

Her feet hit the deck a moment later, and she looked up to see the platinum surface of the hand just eight feet above her head. Korra and the others stared for a moment before turning to the inside of the suit. Some six feet away was Barry, who was upright, but leaning heavily against a wall.

Mako reached him first, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you okay Bear?"

The speedster breathed hard and nodded, too winded to reply for a couple of seconds. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. That just…" a small gulp, "took a lot out of me."

Korra frowned and took his unoccupied hand. "How bad is the damage?"

Barry blinked at her a few times, glancing down briefly, then widened his eyes. "It…isn't."

Lin stepped forward, brows furrowed. "What do you mean, 'it isn't'?"

Barry blinked again. "I mean…I'm not hurt. At _all_." He looked down at his hands, a glint of awe in his ice-blue eyes. "I think…" he returned his gaze to the group, "I think the Speedforce protected me."

The room fell silent for a moment before movement was felt throughout the suit, a few of them having to hold onto a wall for support as the mech kept moving.

"Whatever the case," Korra said, "we need to move fast. Su, Lin, climb up to the arm and try to disable that weapon. Mako, Bolin, get to the engine and see if you can power this thing down. Barry—"

"Korra," he interrupted, "I'd really love to help. You know I would."

They all turned to him in surprise.

Korra arched a questioning eyebrow. "But?"

Barry frowned, a tension to his stance that hadn't been there before. "There's something else I need to take care of. Someone who could tip the tide back in Kuvira's favor." He looked over the team, smirking a little. "Besides…Kuvira isn't _my_ fight." He sent a pointed look at Korra.

Korra's eyes widened slightly in understanding, and her jaw tightened as she nodded firmly.

Barry smiled and gave them all one last glance. "Good luck." He moved toward the exit, but stopped and turned back to them. "And Korra?"

She looked back to see a feral grin on his face.

"Kick her ass."

Korra gave him a solid nod, then watched him leave.

The moment after he sped out the hole, Suyin turned to Korra with a frown. "Are you sure about this? When you fought Kuvira before..."

"I know," Korra interrupted, looking at the ground. "She almost destroyed me." Her eyes and expression hardened as she looked back up at Su. "Not this time."

* * *

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 – He's a Hero: start-0:28—"Asami?" to "No one else dies today";

The Flash Season 1 – I Have to Try: 1:45-2:20—"We can work with this" to "Run!", 3:22-3:41—the Flash launches/typhoon/taking off toward the water, 3:41-3:50—Kuvira's confusion/the Flash turns around, 3:50-4:05—shots fired/Barry's run/Speedforce aura/lightning strikes/Infinite Mass Punch

AN: O. M. G. It's almost done. It's almost freaking done. I can't believe this. I've so desperately wanted to write this chapter almost as long as the ending of Chapter 45. Unbelievable. At this rate, I might just be able to keep my promise to finish _Angel_ by the end of my school year. We'll see.

Anyway, next chapter will be the first half of The Last Stand, and the last full chapter will be the tail end of LOK's final episode. I'm planning on also posting a super short (haha short) epilogue as a little preview for the sequel story, but I'll probably just release all the main chapters without waiting to finish that.

As always, review the hell out of this chapter. Especially the part with Hiroshi. Was the wording subtle enough? Was the reveal dramatic enough? Whatever. I just really wanted to get that scene just right, and I hope I did the images in my head proper justice.

So uh…yeah, _oya_.

\- CDrake


	52. The Avatar

Avatar (n.): an incarnation, embodiment, or manifestation of a person or idea.

1 minute later

Republic City

2 years, 7 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

Lin and her sister ascended the height of the suit unhindered, detaching from their cables once they found the appropriate passage to the right arm and landing on a small metal platform gracefully. The pair strode through the unblocked doorway, stopping at the edge to look down at several rotating gears and axles keeping the arm's servos in motion. Several sharp whirs sounded from behind, and Lin instinctively jerked to one end of the circular doorway while her sister did the same on the opposite side as six fast-moving metal strips flew past them in rapid succession, three burying themselves in the ceiling of the gap.

They whirled around to see a single fully-suited metalbender throwing a hailstorm of strips at them from below. Lin reached over to a nearby wall and tore a sheet of riveted metal off, using it as a shield to block the next five.

"I'll deal with this guy!" she shouted at the younger woman before tearing the shield apart and dashing toward her opponent. "Disable the weapon!"

Lin landed in a kneeling position, both her gauntlets extending with metal blades designed by Cisco as she deflected one metal projectile after another with effortless ease. Evidently, this soldier knew to fear her, since he backed up by the step until she twirled counterclockwise in a double-deflect, then turned her right blade into a lash she shot in his direction. The moment she launched, he snapped a metal plate below him to send him flipping over her head. Lin turned to catch movement from above and roll away as a metal panel crushed the space she was last standing.

He bent the door-sized panel into the air and sent it at her flat-face first. Lin responded with a flying 360 back-kick that sent it rocketing toward the far wall and forced her opponent to readjust his strategy. Extending his arms, metal from the floor and his own armor shifted to form a steel-cabled bow, floating metal around him dropping to the drawstring with his bending. Lin arched an eyebrow and snorted derisively as her left blade switched to its shield mode, deflecting one arrow after the next until she got within six feet. Catching his firing hand dropping to the side, just out of her sight, Lin lunged forward in a feint, forcing him to show his hand and overextend himself with a long dagger thrust that sent him completely off-balance.

Her back foot stomped down hard, sending the plate on his back foot flying upward and him into a cable that wrapped around his midsection and slammed him into a nearby wall headfirst. He was out cold on contact, and Lin took a moment to stare at his unmoving body with a contemptuous glare as a large rumble vibrated through the entire suit.

"You're no Oliver Queen."

Seconds later, she was landing next to her sister on the platform from earlier, looking over the opposite side to see the magazine of spirit vine shots missing. She turned to Suyin with an approving look.

"Nice work."

Su just smirked. "The outside may be platinum, but we can do a _lot_ of damage in here."

As one, both sisters reached out and pulled back, tearing the supports of the geared axles into jagged shreds and continuing on to jam both the loading mechanism and servos. It was barely ten seconds later when both sisters froze in alarm, then held on for dear life as the arm's body began to shake violently around them. Feeling the sheer vibrational force beginning to render them unconscious, Lin instinctively reached out and peeled the sides of the doorway to enclose her and her sister as fading sunlight and wind flew past their faces. The last thing she saw before everything went black was the rushing skyline of Republic City as the suit's right arm was torn off and discarded like worthless flotsam.

The one thing she failed to notice was the cannon itself, which flew off ominously into the Spirit Wilds.

…

 _Clang!_

Kuvira's head whipped around in alarm as the entrance hatch of the cockpit shook with a devastating impact. Three more sharp dents appeared in rapid succession, the metal buckling under the strain and flying off entirely when a massive blast of air sent it rocketing toward the ceiling. A burst of flame sent a familiar blue-clad figure flying into the cockpit, two bursts of air slamming Kuvira's copilots into their respective consoles as they slumped over unconscious. Korra landed on the side of the room opposite the entrance with a firm, determined stance not even _vaguely_ reminiscent of her form on the plains of Zaofu.

Kuvira was so stunned by her appearance and the strength of her entrance that she almost didn't dodge her first blast of fire in time, or duck the second one. Within the movement of her duck, she spun counterclockwise and bent the metal of the suit's track ball controls into liquid form, sending the entire stream flying at Korra like a liquid spear. The Avatar took a single step back, a fluid movement splitting the stream into a spherical skeleton that flowed around her. Within the same motion, Korra clenched her right fist and lunged the appendage in Kuvira's direction, sending the stream right back at her in an arc.

Unable to dodge in time, Kuvira grunted with the impact of the metal hitting her lower chest. Her back slammed into a nearby console, and she grit her teeth, pushing herself upright and running at Korra with a flying axe kick the Avatar dodged with an effortless one-handed handspring. Metal strips flew at the Avatar in pairs before Kuvira sent the top half of a control panel her way, a quick airbending maneuver repelling it. Korra's left hand flared with fiery orange as she flung a blazing hot stream of flame in the commander's direction, Kuvira flipping over it to land on the freely-moving control platform hard.

The sudden movement sent Korra upward with a startled yelp, her back impacting the metal ceiling hard. Kuvira pressed her advantage, bending the rest of the ceiling around her midsection tightly, then sending her dragging across the curved metal surface and sending her crashing into a console, caving it in completely. Shards of metal and meteorite pounded Korra's position as she rolled away, then planted her feet in place. The two women scowled at each other for a moment before Kuvira levitated three meteorite chunks around her and flung them in her direction all at once.

…

2 minutes earlier

A mecha suit, much smaller than the giant one currently terrorizing the city, turned to face a red-suited figure that had slid to a stop just seconds ago.

"Changed your wardrobe, I see," said the Flash rather teasingly.

Behind the metal and glass plate of the suit's helmet, Vandal Savage grinned malevolently. "After your little bit of thievery, and learning that my own people had turned on me, I figured you'd be coming to finish the job sooner or later."

The Flash snarled. "If you think a little extra metal is gonna stop me, you're in for a rude awakening."

Savage smirked. "Am I?"

The speedster charged toward him, body vibrating rapidly, only to rebound with a scream when he felt electricity course through his nerves. A metal hand closed around his flying body a split-second later, clenching hard and making his bones give little by little as he was thrust into the wall of a nearby building.

"Did you think I would not expect your interference?" Savage snarled. "That I would be blind to your methods?" He squeezed harder, sending another pained yell from Barry's throat. "In this world or any other, you and the rest of your ilk stand in the way of man's glorious evolution. No more."

Barry felt the suit squeeze harder, unable to attempt phasing or even breathe due to the constant and increasing pressure on his rib cage.

 _Twang_.

A sudden explosion on the shoulder of Savage's grasping arm sent a section of the armor slipping loose, exposing a few of the controlling wires within. They both snapped to see the Green Arrow standing on a pile of rubble some fifteen feet away, another explosive arrow drawn back threateningly.

Oliver lowered his voice to a growl. "Let. Him. Go." He gave Barry a slight, discreet nod.

"Ah…Mr. Queen. You're already far too late. Beat me, or don't—I'm immortal. One day, this world will belong to Vandal…Savage."

Green Arrow's eyes flickered to Barry briefly before locking onto Savage's faceplate with a smirk. "That so?"

A split-second later, Savage turned down to see the Flash's right arm vibrating massively with gold lightning sparking off it madly. When the second ended, his arm swung toward the suit's exposed shoulder, a lance of electricity instantaneously shorting out the servos controlling the arm's grip and causing Savage's suit to drop him. His other arm, still fully operational, fired a stream of flame toward the speedster and his archer companion. The Flash immediately sped toward Green Arrow, snatching him up and running them both behind a half-destroyed wall of concrete as the fire slowly dissipated.

Oliver turned to Barry. "I've sent enough explosive arrows at those suits today to know the ones I have on hand won't do the trick. Ideas?"

Barry frowned. "He's got the same electric field as Kuvira, so I can't phase through to yank him out."

Oliver shrugged. "I'm open to suggestions."

The speedster's eyes narrowed as he glanced around the concrete wall. "That suit's not run on spirit vines; it doesn't have enough power to keep the field up indefinitely."

"He has to activate it manually."

Barry nodded. "If I can blindside him, I can get through."

Oliver glanced around his end and drew back an arrow. "Sounds like a plan."

"Ready?"

He nodded. "Go!"

They both ran from their cover in opposite directions, Green Arrow letting loose one projectile after another in fire that targeted the suit's joints with high-density carbon polymer and arrowheads coated in a highly conductive solution. One managed to make it through the same gap Barry's lightning had hit, sticking in solidly as Savage smiled from behind the faceplate.

"Really?"

Oliver smirked. "Wait for it."

A massive shock of electricity ran throughout the suit's internal wiring, sending Savage's machine crashing to its knees. Savage's left arm clawed at the dirt and gravel, dragging the rest of the suit toward Oliver, who was running toward its head and stabbing an explosive arrow into a joint at its neck. A gold-rimmed red blur attempted to enter the prone suit, but rebounded when a barely-visible spark of electricity flared off its armor. In a surprising show of flexibility, Savage's left arm managed to grab Oliver's quiver, but a quick set of hands snatched him away before it could fling him off. Once again, they took cover from a blast, this time electric in nature.

Barry's lips pursed hard as the shockwave from Oliver's detonated arrow threw dust their way. "Blindsiding him doesn't seem to be working. It's like he's got eyes in the back of his head."

"Then we blind him on all sides." Oliver turned to him. "Think you can give me some cover?"

The Flash smirked confidently. "Oh yeah."

"On my mark. Three, two, one…go!"

Barry took off in a gold-rimmed circle around Savage's now-recovered suit, kicking massive quantities of dust and gravel into a mini-twister around the mech. Savage swung toward his lightning several times, missing wide, then triggered a massive burst of electricity from both arm cannons, the fast-moving ionized particles in the maelstrom tracing a line of displaced electrons straight to the source of the disturbance. The explosion of energy sent Barry yelling off his feet and into a pile of rubble, Savage following with a blast of fire that missed due to the Flash's quick dash.

A dull thud impacted the back of the suit, and its pilot whirled around and swiped in a diagonal motion in the same movement. Green Arrow cartwheeled away from the strike, firing a high-tensile cable arrow to trap the arm on its downswing, then running up the appendage. He executed a handless cartwheel off the suit's front while slapping a specialized thermite breaching charge on its neck. On his way down, he yelled in pain when Savage's left arm swept through his exact falling path, knocking him fifteen feet through the air and into Barry's waiting arms. The two heroes watched in mute frustration as Savage reached up with his now-freed arm and clenched the suit's fist around the bomb, a section of the hand shattering, but otherwise doing no damage.

"I am Vandal Savage, immortal destroyer of empires. What _exactly_ makes you think _you_ can win?!"

The Flash and Green Arrow exchanged a look, the latter drawing back an arrow as his partner coiled up.

"Because you're alone," Oliver answered in a confident growl. "And we're not."

…

Korra threw several flame punches, ducking under and away from two metal strikes, both aimed at her head, then pivoting to her right and throwing a blast of air at a charging Kuvira. The commander and Avatar circled around each other, tossing numerous elements at each other. Kuvira had the same three meteorite masses from before in liquid form, floating by her shoulders, and was throwing shards of them at Korra one after the other in a rapid fire of ebony bullets. She dodged every last one of them, countering with two gouts of flame Kuvira blocked by bending two metal orbs into a shield.

Korra twirled her body midair as Kuvira pulled all three spheres into a giant metal barrier, her motion sending a double-legged blast of air erupting from her body and smashing the shield into Kuvira. The metalbender slammed back-first into the metal-webbed glass at her back, sliding to the ground and slingshotting the metal plate toward Korra. The Avatar charged toward Kuvira, ducking under the incoming projectile and leaping for the tyrant legs-first. Her legs curled around Kuvira's upper torso, arms around her neck, and she used her lower center of gravity to throw the metalbender across the room, her body ricocheting and rolling across the control platform.

Before she could even come to a stop, Korra stomped and snapped the metal floor beneath Kuvira up, knocking her into the air, then leapt and charged up for a massive air blast. The moment her arm extended, she saw the incoming metal projectile, moving too fast for her to do anything but grit her teeth against the impact. Korra yelped when her back hit the far wall, black dust flying everywhere and obscuring her vision for a moment. When it started to clear, the two master benders glared at each other, hesitating for just a moment before lunging once more.

…

The Green Arrow let loose a flurry of arrows, impact, explosive, and electrical, all aimed at Savage's faceplate in an attempt to either blind him or shatter the glass. Fire and electricity were sent Oliver's way, the archer rolling away and leaping sideways for cover while firing another two arrows into the suit's shoulders. Upon getting to his feet, he jumped back when his cover was shattered by two platinum-plated arms, Savage raining down hammer-fisted strikes as he steadily backpedaled. Green Arrow dashed for the space under his next swinging arm, sliding on his shins and putting a thermite arrow into its vulnerable armpit.

He rolled away from a backhanded strike in the same motion as the slide, grunting in pain again when he moved too slow to avoid a glancing blow from one of the suit's legs. He barrel-rolled to a stop some ten feet away, Savage rapidly closing the distance and leaping for a double-fisted smash. Oliver dove under the suit's legs, coming out the other side and landing in a kneeling crouch as the mech turned around, its right arm flaring with flame. The Green Arrow just smirked and clicked a control built into his vest, a large eruption of heat and concussive force blowing off a good section of the suit's left shoulder joint.

Growling in fury, Savage made to charge Oliver again, but was waylaid when a red blur slammed the suit from the side, the sheer force enough to send him staggering in the direction of the impact. Barry slid to a stop on that side, looping around the suit and running off to keep hitting it from several directions, each impact sending Savage stumbling a few steps. The mech spewed flames in a wide arc around itself, the Flash sliding under it and leaping to take another shot at phasing, but failing when the electrical field repelled him once again. Before Savage could incinerate him with the suit's flamethrowers, a metallic twang was heard and the end of a long cable wrapped itself around Barry's wrist.

A sudden reeling movement yanked the Flash from the suit's line of fire, giving him enough time to get back on his feet and spot Oliver, who was firing more arrows. He grabbed them midair, adding his own speed to send them flying into Savage's suit with ten times the force. One arrow got through that Barry didn't manage to speed up, and the immortal madman caught it midair, then threw it back at the sender. Eyes wide in alarm, the Flash took off and beat it to him, snatching his partner up to bring him to a stop atop some nearby rubble.

Oliver frowned. "Running out of arrows here."

Barry's lips pursed. "If we can't blind him, then I need to hide in plain sight."

Arrow glanced at him.

"Aim for his faceplate, and whatever you do…don't—stop—firing."

Oliver nodded and drew back one arrow after the next as Barry took off running, not in circles this time, but back and forth, rapidly enough to begin confusing his opponent. Barry couldn't really blame him, and by the look of mild shock on his face, neither could Oliver. Especially since they were both looking at around twenty copies of the Flash. True to his word, Green Arrow never stopped firing at the suit, sending washes of light and fire over Savage's main viewport and half-blinding him. In a bout of fury, the immortal activated both his flamethrowers and swept the streams in a cross-over motion, over the entire crowd of speed mirages.

He didn't realize the true purpose of the maneuver until one mirage solidified into a gold-rimmed form that vibrated straight through his armor. The entangled pair hit the ground an instant later, Savage going back-first, but immediately kicking Barry off and rolling to his feet as he drew his Nth-metal knife. The weapon barely had time to start glowing before a pair of arrows flew toward Savage from the side, one knocking the knife from his hand, the other imbedding itself in his shoulder. The immortal snarled and whipped toward the archer, but was stopped from doing anything more when a flurry of impossibly fast punches rained down on him from every angle.

About a dozen or two blows in, Savage spotted a green-clad form rushing for him and felt the impact of a bow on his head knock him back a step. One after another, the Scarlet Speedster and Emerald Archer tag-teamed him from either side, Green Arrow swinging his fists and bow while Savage was on the receiving end of several lightning-fast haymakers. Oliver spun clockwise and slammed the arm of his bow into Savage's face, the immortal finally able to draw another dagger, but feeling two hard impacts to the head when Barry came to his front and gave him an uppercut with his right hand, followed by a hip-driver top-down punch with his left.

Savage thrust his knife at the speedster, but the Flash looped around behind him and swept his legs, sending him into the air and setting him up for a cable arrow from Green Arrow. The cords slammed into and wrapped around the immortal tyrant, Savage growling and roaring in fury as he managed to shift himself to a kneeling position.

"Is that it?! Is that all you have?!"

Barry and Oliver approached him side-by-side, exchanging a look with each other before the former answered.

"You don't ever want to see _all_ we have."

Without another word, the Flash and Green Arrow charged for the restrained supervillain and slammed him with simultaneous blows from opposite sides. Savage was out long before he hit the ground. Breathing heavily, the two heroes looked from Savage, to the suit, to each other, and then broke out in relieved laughter.

Barry clapped Oliver on the shoulder. "Gotta say, I really missed watching you work."

Ollie grinned. "Likewise." He huffed. "Sorry I came so late, by the way." He tapped his quiver. "Had to…restock arrows."

Barry slowly shook his head. "Far as I'm concerned, you were right on time. As usual."

Oliver took a look around and sighed hard. "I need a vacation."

The younger man groaned. "That makes _two_ of us."

They exchanged a look, a comfortable silence falling over the ruined square.

"I wonder how the others are—"

 _Boom!_

Both heroes immediately snapped their vision toward the source of the blast, Barry's eyes widening when he saw the Colossus—some two miles off—flare with violet energy for a moment as it fell, torn apart at the midsection. Two massive clouds of dark smoke erupted from the impact points of either half, the both sections having fallen just two blocks from the Spirit Wilds.

Barry turned to his partner. "Oliver—"

"Go," he interrupted. "I've got Savage."

He didn't need any more encouragement, taking off immediately and finding the top half in less than a minute. Barry looked around feverishly, then phased through the depowered suit, speeding through one demolished hall after the next until he found something that send his eyes widening and heart lurching in his chest.

"Mako! Bolin!"

The Flash touched down next to their immobile bodies, furiously shaking them and managing to get Bolin conscious. The lavabender looked up at him with owlishly blinking eyes. Barry sent him a deadpan look, then gave Mako a pointed nod and threw his hands up in question.

Bolin coughed and cleared his throat. "Couldn't shut down the suit with the machinery, so the idiot decided it would be a good idea to blow up the power source." He loomed over his brother, checking his injuries and wincing at his badly burnt left arm. "My big bro. Always tryin' to be the hero." He arched a teasing eyebrow at Barry. "I blame you, man." He pointed an accusing finger. "You're a bad influence."

Barry grinned and helped Bolin get his brother slung over their shoulders. "Let's get him outta here."

…

Several chunks of rock were forcibly jettisoned from a newly formed hole in the head of the toppled Colossus. Two figures, one in blue, the other in green and silver metal, stepped from the rubble, the former heaving a sigh as she carried the other from the wreckage. Korra laid Kuvira on the ground, stumbling back a few steps and sitting down heavily as the other woman let out a pained groan.

"It's over," Korra said firmly, taking a few heavy breaths and pinning Kuvira with a piercing gaze. "You're gonna call off your army and surrender to President Raiko."

She watched as the other woman's eyes slid open, loose, disheveled hair slipping off the stones as she began to roll upright.

"Then you and—"

Korra grunted and yelped as a large chunk of earth slammed into her chest and flung her twenty feet back, her bruised, battered body rolling and bouncing off the partially demolished pavement. When she finally came to a stop, an aching groan came from her half-conscious lips, sore muscles straining to push her upright. Her head tilted up to see Kuvira approach and turn toward the Avatar, glaring hard. Korra clambered to her feet, legs shaking slightly, but only partially in exhaustion.

"Every time," Kuvira said in a near-whisper. "Every time you appear, you assert your stupid, self-righteous, moralistic viewpoint over everyone you touch, consequences be damned." Her teeth bared and hands fisted at her sides as she marched toward the Avatar. "What do you know?! The world isn't some storybook land with heroes and villains, where everyone gets a happy ending!"

Korra snorted, jaw tightening. "You think I'm not aware of that? I spent almost three years recovering from injuries that should've taken six _months_ to heal."

"Yet you learned _nothing_ ," Kuvira hissed.

She sent another shard of concrete flying at Korra, the projectile impacting her outstretched forearm and sending her stumbling away. Shards of Kuvira's armor were detached and thrown at Korra, two of them latching onto her wrists and dragging her back, heels sliding against the rubble-strewn pavement. Then Korra's eyes opened, fury blazing in their cerulean depths, and she put her foot down.

Literally.

"Enough," she growled.

The Avatar's left foot smashed into the asphalt, creating an anchor point that stopped her backwards movement and gave her time to anchor herself further with an earthbending maneuver that encased her forward right foot in pavement as well. Korra snapped both her arms to the side, and Kuvira's metal cuffs shattered, the metalbending master gasping with wide eyes and gaping in shock. Korra launched off on a pillar of earth, arcing through the air and flipping over an earth projectile on the way down. She twisted around a second, shunting it aside with one hand while twirling her body in a spiral and charging up power for a falling air strike that impacted the crown of Kuvira's head and sent her tumbling backward.

Korra landed in a smooth roll, ignoring the aches and stiffness of her muscles with surprising ease, and stood in a solid fighting stance. "I've learned a _lot_ more than you think."

Kuvira snarled and yelled, charging at Korra with more flying bursts of earth. Korra pirouetted in place, her chi focusing and redirecting the first barrage before she lunged forward. Korra turned her body in a twist-flip when she closed to around eight feet, then handsprung backward into Kuvira's chest with a double-legged mule kick. Kuvira sluggishly rolled to her feet, green eyes widening at the sight of a dashing Korra.

"Like the fact that I am sick—"

Korra's right fist impacted the side of her left jaw solidly, followed by two diagonal uppercuts to her unarmored lower ribs and lower jaw.

"—and _tired_ —"

Kuvira attempted to counterattack with bending, but between the pain and her own exhaustion, was too sluggish to do anything but take Korra's unarmed beating as she was driven back a step with every blow.

"—of being _tossed around_!"

Korra seized Kuvira's shoulders and kneed her in the chest, knocking her back a step, then charged up and brought both her fists forward. In a combination of blunt force and both air and fire, Korra sent a yelling Kuvira flying nearly thirty feet back, including the stretch where she dragged and rolled across the pavement. Korra was breathing heavily at this point, stalking toward her opponent with hard, measured steps. Kuvira scrambled to her feet, eyes wild and fearful, then took off toward the Wilds at her back.

Korra's eyes widened slightly as she ran after her. "Stop!"

Kuvira vanished from sight, lost in a tangle of vines and twisted streets, but Korra kept up her pursuit, feeling her legs protest but pushing through anyway. Her cerulean eyes darted from one dark corner to another, searching like a hawk as she kept moving forward.

"Kuvira!" she called. "Give _up_!" Slowing down, Korra took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Please, stop this madness! It has to end now!" She leapt atop a boulder to get a better view of her surroundings.

"If you really want to end it, then come and get me!"

Korra's head snapped to her right, and she broke off in a run, pushing through a thick cluster of bushes, then coming to an abrupt, gasping halt. In a clearing, suspended by spirit vines and surrounded by trees, was Kuvira.

And the spirit energy cannon she was currently pointing at the Avatar.

Kuvira scowled, her left hand on the weapon's firing controls. " _Now_ it's over."

Korra's hand outstretched in alarm, eyes wide and darting to the vines surrounding them. "Don't!"

Like the bullheaded woman Korra knew her to be, Kuvira didn't listen, and shoved the firing lever forward, sending a massive violet glow that made the weapon's beam seem all the larger for its close proximity. Time slowed to a near crawl as adrenaline crammed into the Avatar's bloodstream, her battered legs propelling her to the left as the cannon fired. The sheer concussive force of the impact threw her clear, her body bouncing on the ground and sliding to a stop at the edge of the clearing. Looking up, Korra saw the cannon drilling into the ground, the beam not having dissipated yet.

She saw why a moment later, when the vines suspending the cannon began to glow violet. As point of fact, every vine in the _Wilds_ lit up, and the beam erupted with even greater destructive force and breadth, the sheer kickback sending the cannon spinning. Kuvira held on for dear life as the beam sliced through trees, vines, and undoubtedly the buildings outside the Wilds.

"Shut it down!" Korra shouted, barely hearing herself above the din.

Kuvira pulled back on the lever, Korra managing to catch her alarmed expression when she replied, "I can't!"

Evidently, the rotational motion of the cannon was too much for her grip, because Kuvira fell off and came to a rolling stop some twenty feet from Korra. Her face was more than expressive enough to show the extent of her fear when she saw the beam heading straight for her.

…

The moment the first shot went off, Barry and the pro-bending brothers had heard, but seeing as how Mako was stable for the moment, and they weren't in any imminent danger, the Flash left them without even asking. His lightning trail streaked toward the source of the glowing beam currently busy demolishing half of Republic City, speeding through vines and thick brush to come to a skidding halt at the edge of a large clearing. The first two things he was aware of upon stopping were the locations of two women, one in blue, the other in green. The third? That the green-clad one was currently in the path of the haywire weapon.

Barry didn't hesitate. He took off toward Kuvira like a storm, racing against the beam and seeming to win—until the massive vibrations it sent through the ground made him stumble and slow down. He looked up, judged the distance, measured the space between Kuvira and the beam. He could still make it—if he pushed. So he did. He pushed his steps and sore body to the limit and past it, lightning dancing all around him. It was only when he caught sight of a second figure leaping in front of the first that he began to panic. When her eyes went pure-white, his hands were mere feet from them both.

That's when the beam hit.

The concussive force of the impact sent Barry flying to the far edge of the clearing, rolling to a stop and sluggishly pushing himself upright. What he saw sent his jaw dropping to the ground. Korra, standing between Kuvira and a beam that could destroy entire buildings in one shot. A bubble was formed around them, as if the weapon's energy itself was being bent aside. Belatedly, Barry realized that was _exactly_ what was happening. A mixed feeling of terror and awe filled him at the sight of his girlfriend, the love of his life, singlehandedly battling a _superweapon_ , with only her strength and power keeping both of them from harm.

Mere seconds after the impact, Barry became aware of something else, that the energy from the cannon was not only massing around the bubble, but expanding from it in a gigantic eruption. His eyes widened as the violet glow filled every inch of his vision, holding one hand up to keep from being blinded, then taking off toward the edge of the Wilds as the built-up energy exploded. The result was…not quite as destructive as Blackout's overcharged vest, but close enough that Barry was glad he ran when he did.

All the same, he didn't move fast enough to avoid being catapulted off his feet and through the air. The sheer noise of the explosion deafened him briefly, so he felt more than heard glass break as his body was thrown into an abandoned car, leaving behind a considerable dent in the metal as he slumped to the ground. The last thing he saw before passing out was an eruption of golden light from the direction of the Wilds.

…

It's said that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes. Avatar Korra had experienced this phenomenon once before, when she was nearly assassinated by the Red Lotus. When the cannon had fired, and she'd leapt between Kuvira and death, there was no repeat incident. No pain, no fear, no hesitation, only a strong sense of duty and the warmth of supreme confidence. As consciousness slowly began to return to her, her eyes slid open, gazing through what looked like a sheet of glass, or in her case, a mirror. On the other side was an exact replica of her, radiating dark purple, like the tendrils of energy Vaatu had used to extract Raava all those years ago.

An intense blue glow was coming from her own body, and she wondered at the mirror image for a while until it started to shift, broken apart like ripples in water to reveal—Kuvira. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped partway as realization hit her like a freight train, and together, they floated into a meadow of purple flowers, a blindingly bright golden light emanating from her right. Deciding to deal with that later, she caught Kuvira as the other woman collapsed to the ground, holding her across her lap and cradling her head to prevent further damage.

Korra winced when she saw the angry purple bruising over the entirety of her left jaw. Kuvira blinked several times, slowly coming back to herself, then looking up and shouting in alarm when she realized exactly who she was with. Kuvira pushed her off and scrambled away, eyes wild and scared as she breathed heavily. Eventually, she turned back to Korra.

"What happened? Are we…dead?"

Internally sighing, Korra pushed herself upright and faced the other woman. "No. We're okay, but we're in the Spirit World." She lifted her arms out to indicate their surroundings. "All the energy from your weapon tore open a new portal and blasted us in here."

Kuvira looked at her for a moment before looking down in—was that _shame_? "Why would you save my life?" she demanded. "After everything I did to you…"

Korra thought for a moment, brows creased. "I guess…I see a lot of _myself_ in you."

Kuvira looked surprised for only a moment, then snorted derisively. "We are _nothing_ alike."

"Yes we are. We're both fierce and determined to succeed…sometimes without thinking things through."

The dictator's voice began to crack as she fell to her knees, arms clutched over her abdomen—no doubt cradling a few broken ribs. "This wasn't how I wanted things to end. If you had all just surrendered, none of this would've happened."

Korra's tone never wavered. "You brought this on yourself." She strode toward Kuvira. "Messing with the spirit vines, acting like a dictator over your people—you _had_ to know what you were doing wasn't right."

Kuvira's eyes flashed. "I was trying to _help_ my people. Su turned her back on the Earth Kingdom, you were gone. I had to do something."

Korra softened a bit. "I think I get it now."

Kuvira turned away angrily. "You don't understand anything about me."

"I do. Su told me how she took you in when you were younger. It must have been so hard being an orphan."

Kuvira swiped a hand in her direction, hissing, "Don't pretend you know what it felt like. The Avatar is adored by _millions_!" Steadily, her voice wavered to a greater and greater degree. "I was cast aside by my own parents, like I meant _nothing_ to them!" She looked down, tears welling in her eyes. "How could I just stand by and watch the same thing happen to my nation when it _needed_ someone to guide it?"

"You wanted to create a place where you and your people would never be vulnerable again."

Kuvira's head tipped up to look at her through disheveled hair.

"I _understand_ what it's like to be afraid, Kuvira." Korra approached and sat down in front of her. "After I was poisoned, I would've done _anything_ to feel in control. So I did everything, everything I could think of...except the one thing that worked." She smiled at the ground. "I may not have been an orphan, but I know someone who was, for a good portion of his life. _You_ know him too. He spent seven years without his parents, without even the smallest consolation of knowing that his parents' killers were brought to justice. He could've easily turned out like the man responsible, allowed himself to become cold and bitter and merciless…but he didn't. Want to know why?"

Kuvira arched a raven eyebrow and muttered, "Do I have a choice?"

Korra ignored her. "Because he uncovered the solution to that fear long before I did. He didn't know it then, didn't understand it, even ignored it a few times, but without that way, he would've been lost to his pain forever." She took a deep breath. "The solution…is people. And not just _any_ people, but…people that truly love you. People who matter. It takes being around them and helping them, and—when it's necessary—letting _them_ help _you_. It means you listen to them, _really_ listen, and don't just dismiss what they're saying because you think you're right."

Kuvira's eyes widened slightly. "But I didn't—"

"You did."

She crossed her arms and looked sideways.

"Su, Raiko, me. You never stopped to think about what might happen if you were wrong. Refused to even accept the possibility. And now, look what happened. Your army's in shambles, half of Republic City is rubble, and apart from a few loyal stragglers, you're alone in the world." Korra frowned and looked down. "After experiencing that for the last eighteen months…I can say for certain that that's not something I'd wish on anyone."

A few moments of silence passed before Kuvira's voice was heard. "You're right."

Korra looked up to see tears freely flowing down her cheeks.

"I'm alone in this world." Kuvira's lips trembled. "No mother. No father." Her eyes slid shut, liquid spilling from them. "Even Baatar…" her voice dropped to a broken whisper, "oh spirits, what have I done?" She tilted her head back, shoulders shaking, as she stared into the infinite sky. "He'll never forgive me." Kuvira nearly jumped when Korra gently grasped her hand, opting instead to look at her with wide eyes.

Korra's eyes softened in sympathy. "Don't count yourself out just yet. Believe me when I say that love can do some… _amazing_ things. And…even if he doesn't…I do."

Kuvira stared at her in shock. "You would—why?"

Korra sighed and smiled a little. "Because if I can forgive the man who _destroyed_ me and did more damage to this world than you ever could—just for the sheer hell of causing chaos—I think I can forgive a misguided young woman who was trying to do a noble thing." She shrugged. "So it got away from you." She smiled wider. "Happens to the best of us. Trust me."

Kuvira stared back at her for a few moments, then turned her hand over to grasp the Avatar's firmly.

"No matter what happens next," Korra continued, "you won't have to face it alone. I promise."

Kuvira looked at her for a few more seconds, fearful eyes searching her face for any hesitation or signs of deception, but relaxing when they found none. "Thank you," she said softly.

Korra tightened her grip around her hand. "You're welcome." She released Kuvira's hand and grunted as she pushed herself upright and outstretched her hand. "Now come on."

Kuvira looked up at the appendage, one eyebrow arched, and sighed as she took it. "Time to face the music, I guess."

"'Fraid so."

She looped Kuvira's arm around her shoulders, both of them ambling toward the portal in the distance in silence. At least, for a while.

"Do you think…Barry will forgive me as well?"

Korra smirked. "If I know Barry, he already has. And if not, then, well…he'll come around." They took a few more silent steps. "You know…he would've saved you too. If he'd been there."

Kuvira sighed. "I know. Just…difficult to trust, after…"

"Yeah. I know. But it's over now. It's over."

…

"Barry. Barry!"

A hard _thwack_ rang through the air in a mostly deserted street as a feminine palm slapped across the face of a slumbering speedster. Barry shot upright with a pained gasp, hand immediately going to his face and eyes blinking owlishly as he looked up at Caitlin in shock.

"Seriously?!"

"You weren't waking up."

Barry groaned and let her and Ronnie help him up. "Smelling salts work too. Geez."

Cate snorted. "Baby."

Barry rolled his eyes and took a few more breaths, eyes widening when he caught sight of the golden light from before, right in the smack middle of the Spirit Wilds. "Korra—"

"No sign of her yet," Ronnie said. "Given the strength of that blast…"

He didn't wait for Firestorm to finish before he took off in the direction of the portal, coming to an abrupt stop halfway there, then streaking around a few familiar faces, no doubt members of a search party with the same goal.

 _No. Nonononononono, this is not happening. Not to her. It can't be—_

Rather abruptly, ethereal figures began to appear all around the Wilds.

To his left, Tenzin spoke in a semi-awed tone. "The spirits…have returned."

Seconds later, a familiar surge of light came from the portal, and Barry snapped to face it, heart nearly dropping through his stomach in relief when he caught sight of two figures. One blue. One green.

 _Safe. They're both safe._

Barry distantly heard Asami say something, opting to run to them in an instant, taking Kuvira's other arm and slinging it over his shoulder. They made their way toward the rest of the group, a jubilant Bolin leaping forward first.

"Ha-ha! You're okay!"

The tension returned when sounds of mechanized troops were heard all around them, several mecha suits surrounding the group.

"Release Kuvira," one said, "or we will attack."

Giving Korra a slight nod, Kuvira pulled away from them both and stood erect, one hand across her abdomen. "Stand down," she ordered. "This battle…is over. I owe the Avatar my life. Her power is beyond anything I could ever hope to achieve." She turned her eyes down, refusing to meet Suyin's gaze. "I'll accept whatever punishment the World sees fit."

The mecha exchanged surprised looks before lowering their weapon and obeying their orders. Moments later, Lin stepped forward and clicked a pair of platinum handcuffs around her wrists.

Kuvira finally gained the courage to look Su in the eye. "And Su, I'm sorry for all the anguish I've caused you and your family."

The younger Beifong sister followed the older as they escorted her away. "You're going to answer for _everything_ you've done."

It wasn't long before another familiar figure was seen being escorted next to her, though this one was far from quiet.

"Unhand me, you imbeciles! What do you think you're doing?!"

Barry and Korra exchanged a look, then looked toward a furious Vandal Savage, who was being restrained by a rather vexed-looking Green Arrow. They sent him a sympathetic expression.

"Kuvira," Savage hissed, "what is the meaning of this? You would surrender? To them? _Now_? When we are so _close_ to victory?!"

"Yes," she answered firmly, facing him as they came to a stop. "You have a problem with that?"

Savage snarled. "Don't be coy with me, _commander_. I know your history from my studies on Earth-One. I should've _known_ you wouldn't have the stomach to complete your conquest."

Kuvira turned toward him sharply, eyes hard. "This was never _about_ conquest. It was about order, peace." She looked down briefly, then turned her eyes toward Korra. "I have…confidence that the Avatar and her allies will continue that mission…in ways that I never could."

"You would trust those incompetent cowards with your vision? With the future of your nation?" Savage slowly shook his head, looking genuinely disappointed. "I knew you were many things, Kuvira, but I never took you for a _fool_."

Kuvira's eyes narrowed in a steely look. "Maybe I just have a little more _faith_ in my fellow man."

Savage shrugged. "Maybe." His eyes flashed with fury. "Or maybe you're just _weak_."

…

It happened fast, faster than anyone could've predicted. Savage slipped free of his cuffs, elbowed Green Arrow in the face, and snatched up one of his flechettes to throw straight at Kuvira's neck. Given that there were a scant eight feet between Savage and his target, Lin and Su were forced to try and bend it away, but ever since Oliver had fought the chief, he'd eliminated all metal from his arsenal. The dart streaked death toward the once-commander of the Earth Empire, her green eyes slammed tightly shut as she threw her cuffed hands up to protect her face. She didn't make it even halfway.

A second later, Oliver put three of his arrows into Savage, one in the back, two in his knees, and got some help from Su when she matron bent a section of her armor to encase his hands in seamless restraints. Kuvira, for her part, still had her eyes squeezed shut, at least until she realized there was no pain or sudden lightheadedness. When her eyes opened, they opened all the way—as did her mouth. In front of her, scant inches from piercing her throat, was a razor-sharp green flechette.

Caught in the grasp of a red-gloved hand.

Her eyes stared at it, slowly shifting to see the Flash smirking behind his mask with a knowing look in his eyes. He stayed there for a second, then sighed hard and held the flechette in front of his face. Barry frowned and chewed his lower lip, then turned to Korra, who had approached the group to help Oliver restrain Savage.

"You know," he said, holding up the weapon, "these guys don't seem to get the whole, 'fastest man alive' thing, do they?"

Korra sidled up next to him and crossed her arms, both heroes facing Savage with a critical eye. "No, they don't."

Barry nodded slowly, eyes flickering to the side. "You mind if I—"

"Oh, by all means."

Kuvira stood and watched in muted shock as Barry sprinted toward Savage, snatched him up by the collar, and carried him to a space some twenty feet off. They started spinning a moment later, gold lightning and the dark blur of Savage's form blending together after a few seconds. Barry released him on the fifteenth or so rotation, and the immortal tyrant went flying with a yell.

"He shoots," began Korra rather excitedly.

Vandal Savage arced toward a strange point in the air, a disturbance like exhaust from a flame, and was enveloped in an amorphous mass of blue light once he hit. He, and the light, vanished a second later.

"—he scores!"

Barry ran back over and together, he and Korra engaged in an empatic—and improvised—"secret handshake," the ending of which was an explosive fist-pump. At this point, _everyone_ was staring and/or gaping at them in mild shock, but only Kuvira chose to comment on it.

"How…on _Earth_ …did I lose to you two?"

The couple just grinned.

…

2 hours later

The battle was over, and night had fallen as every loose end was tied off. Kuvira's mecha soldiers had quickly spread word of their surrender to the rest of the army, and the other soldiers had followed suit without protest. Task Force X had officially been disbanded, and its members taken into police custody until they could figure out what to do with them. As for Bette and Hiroshi, once President Raiko had learned of their integral roles in the salvation of Republic City, he'd agreed (with some pressure from Lin and Tenzin) to grant them probationary status in the form of monitored parole.

Everyone silently agreed that there would be no more necessary action on the matter.

As for Barry and Korra, after a great deal of mini celebrations and cleanup, they finally got a moment to themselves. Or, rather, Barry _stole_ one, to Korra's weak and ineffective protests. He knew she needed the break same as him. At present, they were sitting atop the Yue Bay lighthouse, hair down, mask off, with Korra sitting between his legs, leaning back against his chest. Both stared out into the lights and bustle of the city and its varied cleanup crews, one light above all capturing their attention quite well. Barry's arms looped around her midsection, holding her closer, and she sighed into his touch, pressing her cheek against his arm.

"Is it the nature of our work to open portals to other worlds…or is it just us?"

Korra looked up at him, seeing a surprisingly serious expression.

Barry looked back down at her. "I'm just sayin', 'cause if this is gonna become a regular thing…we might want to invest in some better security for the Wilds."

Korra turned toward the portal and shrugged, conceding the point. "I'm sure that'll be yet another line item on a _long_ list of things Raiko plans to change about this city."

Barry pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of her head, sending a gentle spark of warmth through her entire body. "You did it, Korra. After almost three years, I finally saw you do the impossible." He chuckled. "Totally worth the wait."

Korra snorted. "It wasn't _actually_ that difficult, you know. Energybending, just…on a massive scale."

"I don't just mean the portal. Getting Kuvira to back down, to…accept her mistakes. That woman has a head harder than _platinum_."

She arched an eyebrow. "She's not the _only_ one."

"Nope," he muttered into her ear, lips grazing over the lobe and sending little shocks through her system.

Korra craned her neck and sighed softly, eyes closed. He stopped suddenly, and she almost grabbed his head to make him continue before he spoke again.

"Korra…I'm tired."

The older girl chuckled and groaned a little. "Yeah. Me too." She turned around and gently pulled his head to rest on her shoulder. "But that's okay. The world's back in balance now, and for the first time in years, I feel…at peace." She pressed her lips to his neck and nuzzled his shoulder, feeling her eyes droop. Korra opened them before they could close completely. "Barry?"

"Hm?" he asked rather drowsily.

"I love you."

His arms tightened around her. "Mmm..love you tuhhzzzzz…"

Korra smiled and enjoyed the moment, the warmth of his embrace. She froze abruptly when a rumble sounded through his chest. Pulled away when it repeated more intensely. Threw her head back in a gut-busting laugh when she realized he was snoring.

* * *

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash vs Arrow – The Flash vs Arrow: start-0:53—the Flash confronts Savage/Twang, 0:53-1:10—Savage and Oliver/lightning strike/cover, 1:10-1:35—plan of attack/Go!, 1:35-2:18—arrow barrage/electric attack/failed entry/blind on all sides/go!, 2:18-2:47—dust storm/second assault/"Because you're alone…", 2:47-3:35—third assault/retreat, 3:35-3:51—"Running out of arrows"/"don't stop firing"/speed mirages/phase grab, 3:51-4:14—super powered beatdown/tag team/cable arrow, 4:14-end—"don't ever want to see…"/"need a vacation"

AN: Just one more chapter now. Unbelievable. So…in case it wasn't obvious, the next chapter will comprise Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding, which will get more time than it did in the show, for a variety of reasons—mainly because they had time constraints and I don't. Not really all that much to say on this chapter, except that obviously, the latter half of Korra and Kuvira's conversation was all original. I didn't feel like the show had them communicating enough to really resolve Kuvira's inner conflict—again, time constraints. So, there's my take on it.

Otherwise, keep reviewing. I'll have the last chapter up soon.

 _Oya, vode_.

\- CDrake


	53. Future

Future (n.): the time or a period of time following the moment of speaking or writing; time regarded as still to come.

2 weeks later

Air Temple Island, Republic City

2 years, 8 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

 _Déjà vu_. Strange thing, that. Barry Allen had felt it many times over the course of his lifetime, though never more than in the past three years. That, of course, was due to his admittedly infrequent but extremely jarring experiences with time travel. On this particular day, however, it wasn't some supernatural ability or awe-inspiring power that engendered this feeling. No, it was the act of sitting and watching a ceremony on the slopes of Air Temple Island, dressed in his finest clothes with a few familiar faces around. The differences between now and then…well, it would've taken him all day to list them, even with _his_ speed.

At the moment, though, he was focused on the difference currently hanging on his arm, decked out in light blue Water Tribe formal wear. It was only vaguely similar to what she'd been wearing when they'd first met, but she looked no less beautiful for it, mainly because it was still so very… _her_. Barry leaned over in his seat to press a feather-light kiss behind her right ear, getting in return a small giggle and halfhearted swat at his face—that he dodged, of course. She gently nudged his side with her elbow, a silent insistence on watching the proceedings like a normal person.

In response, he gripped her hand and vibrated their attached appendages just a little, an equally silent but no less understandable plea for forgiveness. His hyperactivity, combined with the lengthy and dull but necessary process of the wedding ceremony—not to mention the close proximity of such a gorgeous woman—formed a mixture that was, to put things mildly, boring him half to death. Korra gave him a sympathetic yet exasperated eye-roll. To his right, his sister just grinned and shook her head, then turned to whisper something in the ear of her father, which he smiled at.

Barry smiled too, just at the sight of the two of them together, and looked behind him to see Henry and Lin sitting side-by-side, his father giving him an approving nod. Lin, meanwhile, was in a hushed conversation with her younger sister that was giving the chief a rather badly suppressed frown and—was she _blushing_? He'd have to ask her about that later…actually probably not, if he wanted to keep his job, that is. Barry turned forward before she could catch his curious stare, slowly shaking his head and returning his attention to Bolin, who was officiating the wedding.

"Do you, Sir Iknik Blackstone Varrick of the Southern Water Tribe, take the lady Zhu Li Moon to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you promise to treat her not as your assistant but as your honored and cherished partner?"

Varrick grinned in response and replied enthusiastically. "You're darn _tootin_ ' I do!"

"And do you, Zhu Li, take Varrick to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to care for him in sickness and in health, and—" Bolin stared down at the vows with a frown, "—and also scrub his calluses on a bi-weekly basis," he arched an eyebrow, "which isn't really that much to ask—" Bolin cut off abruptly and fixed Varrick with a disapproving frown. "Okay, I'm not reading all this."

"I _do_ take Varrick," she replied softly, "calluses and all."

The couple-to-be drew close to each other as Bolin gave a little bow.

"You may now," he announced, "…do the thing."

At once, Zhu Li grabbed Varrick and dipped him before locking the man in a loving kiss. They straightened up a second later to thunderous applause from the audience. With a devilish smirk, Asami leaned over to whisper in Barry's ear.

"You guys are next."

Barry's eyes went triple wide in horror and embarrassment as his face flushed a deep and permeating crimson, at which Asami had to visibly restrain laughter. The speedster shot her a brief but particularly vicious glare before re-facing the happy couple and pasting a smile on. He clapped twice as hard and fast as the rest to keep Korra from asking any questions about his currently flushed state, but as it turned out such measures were unnecessary, since she was immediately distracted by the couple walking down the aisle. The entire crowd in attendance got to their feet, the blush slowly but surely losing its stain on Barry's face as the applause continued and followed Varrick and Zhu Li out into the concourse of the island.

One look at an unrepentantly smirking Asami, and he knew this was going to be a very, _very_ long night.

…

2 hours later

The wedding band, as it turned out, was extremely enthusiastic about its job, and really, what _wasn't_ there to be enthusiastic about? Despite Barry's initial misgivings about his ruthlessly teasing older sister—who thus far hadn't made any other plays—the reception had turned out to be quite the event. Fireworks, lights, music—this thing had it all. Laughter was so common and hard that Barry found his cheeks hurting after the first hour. Not only was this a celebration of two people coming together forever, but of a triumphant United Republic, and indeed the world, against the forces of chaos and tyranny.

True to her word, Korra had been with Kuvira every step of the way with regard to legal proceedings; she even managed to get the former commander a reduced sentence—if two decades rather than life could be considered mercy. Still, Barry couldn't blame the world's leaders for being so harsh. Despite her surrender and remorse, too many people had been harmed and killed by her orders and actions, either directly or indirectly, to just let go. Turning his mind away from those matters, he let a grin split his face at the sight of Ronnie and Caitlin dancing to music played by the Wolfbats.

Of the two, Ronnie was the more enthusiastic, not that that was any sort of surprise, but his wife didn't seem to be enjoying it any less, the way he twirled and dipped her every other movement. Their eyes never left each other. Barry clapped to the music, grinning at them.

 _Do Korra and I look like that?_

If so, he could understand _exactly_ why Asami insisted on teasing him about it…not that it was any less annoying, just that he could understand. Speaking of, his sister was currently shuffling about the party, a glimpse of a vibrant red dress caught every so often as she expertly weaved through the crowd. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was hiding or avoiding someone. Before Barry realized it, another familiar face had sidled up next to him, and he glanced in the direction of his movement before doing a double take and staring into Hiroshi Sato's knowing smile.

"M-Mr. Sato," he stammered, extending his hand respectfully. "It's good to finally meet you. I mean, yes, we were seated close to each other, but I don't think we've been properly introduced."

Hiroshi just smiled wider and nodded slowly. "Although I believe our first meeting more than makes up for any breaches in etiquette."

Barry cocked his head slightly. "Sorry?"

He chuckled softly. "I may be a little out of the loop, Mr. Allen, but I'm no fool."

For the second time that night, Barry started blushing quite deeply, unable to meet the gaze of the older man.

"Dad, are you tormenting my little brother?"

Barry's eyes snapped to Asami with an arched eyebrow. "Little? You're at _least_ two inches shorter than me."

"And at least three years older."

His arms crossed rather petulantly. "And how is that my fault?"

She smirked. "Because you used to be _two_ years younger than me, not three."

Barry pouted as Hiroshi gave them each a startled look.

"The world…has gotten a great deal stranger in my absence."

Asami laughed and placed a hand on her father's arm. "Dad, you have no idea."

He smiled. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to fill me in now, I suspect."

She smiled back. "Absolutely. Now, I don't know what your plan is at present, but I would very much like a dance."

Hiroshi gave her a small bow. "I would be honored." He turned to Barry. "Excuse us."

He grinned and nodded to them, watching the pair seamlessly glide onto the dance floor.

…

Hiroshi never stopped smiling throughout the entirety of their first dance, holding his daughter close as the music shifted to a slower note.

"Asami," he said softly.

"Yes, Dad?"

He pulled away a little to look down into her eyes. "I want you to know that what I said, before, at the prison…I meant every word, and I always will."

Asami smiled. "I know, Dad." She laid her head against his shoulder, gently swaying to the music. "So, I know you didn't really have a say in it, but…what do you think of Barry as a stepson?"

Hiroshi snorted a little. "He's a boy. Bright-eyed, enthusiastic, reckless." A grin spread over his features. "To be honest, I see a little of _myself_ in him." He looked down at her. "But a great deal more of _you_."

She looked a little uncertain. "So…"

He tucked her head into his shoulder and looked off to see the speedster chatting with Detective Mako. "I've noticed you have a tendency to adopt the most unusual people into your life." He shrugged. "I believe it's _entirely_ appropriate." Hiroshi smiled down at her. "After all, my daughter is a hero. It follows that the only ones worthy of her affection would follow her example."

Asami smiled shyly and blushed a little, her arms tightening around Hiroshi's midsection. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Asami."

...

"See ya Mako."

Barry smiled at his best friend's exit and turned back to the dance floor to stare wistfully out at his sister and her father.

"So…"

Barry abruptly turned to Korra, who had just sidled up next to him. "So?"

She stood at his right, hands tucked behind her back as she too looked out onto the dance floor. "A little birdie told me about Asami's little…declaration to you, during the ceremony."

The speedster blinked rapidly, attempting to appear nonplussed and failing miserably. "Uh huh," he said nonchalantly.

Korra smirked at his side and looked out on the dance floor to see Bette standing a little awkwardly next to Cisco, who was whipping his long hair back and forth, along with the rest of his body. She cringed briefly before turning her head slightly toward Barry, eyes never leaving the engineer. "If we _do_ ever get married, will you promise to _never_ dance like that?"

Barry flushed hard, forcing a smile. "That I can promise. The, uh—dancing, I mean, not…getting married."

They exchanged a look, Korra blinking up at him owlishly. Barry just cleared his throat and started to back away.

"Think I saw some cocktails over—"

"Bear," she interrupted.

His eyes snapped to her, jaw tight. "Yeah?"

Her brows furrowed. "Are you okay?"

Barry nodded rapidly. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He smiled a little and tilted his head. "Just tired."

Korra frowned, but nodded. "Aren't we all?"

He smiled a little wider, somewhat forcing it, before heading off. "I'll be back."

She gave him an absent grunt in response, turning back toward the dance floor.

The speedster took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and ended up running across Lin, who was in a rather animated conversation with his father. Barry was just walking past when he caught sight of them, but stopped and walked backward to do a double-take. Was she…smiling? _Laughing_? He stared openmouthed as both of them laughed, Lin's much more subdued, but still. He took a step or two closer to them, managing to catch snatches of conversation.

"I remember the first car he ever had," Lin said. "Drove it for two days before wrapping it around a tree trying to make up lost time."

Henry chuckled. "He was always faster on his feet anyway."

"Not that that means he's on time. Ever."

He shook his head slowly. "I wonder if it was a teenage thing. He was never late for school—or _anything_ , far as I know—when he was younger."

"I think I can assume why."

Henry's expression went grim, lips pursed tightly as he nodded. They were silent for a moment before he outstretched his right hand. "Chief, always a pleasure."

She took it. "Likewise, Henry."

They parted, Lin reaching out to a passing waiter and taking a skewer of various Water Tribe appetizers. Barry sidled up next to her, watching his father leave with a somewhat dumbstruck expression. He turned to her a second later, managing to catch her attention as she popped an appetizer in her mouth. Chewing it over, she arched a confused eyebrow at him.

"Can I help you?"

Barry stared at her, hands making air quotes. "'Likewise, Henry?' When did this happen?"

Lin's eyes narrowed. "Nothing 'happened,' I'm simply attempting to be less of a…" she frowned, "stiff all the time."

He nodded slowly in disbelief. "Uh huh."

Her eyes rolled. "Oh please, not you too."

"Too? Who else—"

"Su," Lin bit out. "She's been _insufferable_ all night."

Barry crossed his arms. "So _that's_ why you were blushing earlier."

The chief immediately began glaring at him. "First off, I do _not_ blush."

He suppressed his grin rather poorly. "Uh huh."

"And secondly—this conversation is over."

Barry just nodded and let his grin show fully. "Okay." He held back chuckles as she stalked off to another section of the reception. "Enjoy the party," he called.

An irritated growl was her only response.

…

"Good to see you, Prince Wu."

The royal and his bodyguard turned toward Korra, smiling.

"Or should I say 'King Wu'?" She pointed at him invitingly. "You ready to get back to Ba Sing Se and finally take the throne?"

Wu frowned and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah... about that." He smiled. "I was actually thinking of stepping down as king and getting rid of the monarchy altogether."

Mako gaped. "Are you joking?"

"For once, I'm not. Now, I know what you're gonna say: I'm being lazy, I'm afraid of responsibility, I'm putting my singing career before my people, but it's none of those things." He smiled. "I _really_ think the Earth Kingdom would be better off if the states were independent and had elected leaders like the United Republic."

They both stood there, a smile spreading over Korra's features as Mako just stared.

"That's actually pretty wise and mature of you," he said.

"I think it's a _great_ idea," said Korra with a smile. "The Earth Kingdom should evolve, and I'll do everything in my power to help you make that happen."

"Looking forward to working with you," the prince replied, "but for now, the dance floor calls!"

Mako and Korra watched as the prince scooted off to the aforementioned area.

A frown creased her features as she turned to Mako. "How's the arm?"

He smiled a little, glancing at the cast over the appendage. "Much better. Barry helped, but after everything else he'd done that day, I figured he'd exerted himself enough."

She just frowned harder. "The words 'thank you' don't feel big enough for what you did, but I honestly don't know what else to say."

"You don't need to say anything." Mako looked down. "I want you to know…" his eyes turned back to her, "I'll follow you into battle no matter how crazy things get." He smiled. "I've got your back. And I always will."

Korra stared at him for a while, then smiled widely.

"And what about me?"

Korra turned toward the newly arrived Barry, decked out in the same tux he'd worn the night of their first date.

Mako smirked. "Yeah, I guess I could find the room for you too."

Barry snorted and arched an eyebrow.

Mako grinned. "Now, I see two perfectly healthy people and a very much open dance floor." His good arm grabbed Korra's shoulder and gently shoved her toward her date. "Go, you guys. You're makin' me feel horrible, like I'm holdin' you back."

Korra smirked and gave Barry a taunting look. "I think he's just scared I'll exhaust him this early in the night."

In response, the speedster's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he reached out to clamp a hand on hers, half-dragging her onto the dance floor. Mako laughed at their backs, Cisco wolf whistling at them as Korra just started to _move_. A look of surprise bloomed in her eyes when Barry took the lead, and his body started moving fast, not fast enough to be at superspeed, but fast enough to make her actually work to keep up. It wasn't half a minute before she started breathing heavily, and laughing to boot. His technique had improved from their first dance two years ago, but it was a lot like their first true kiss as a couple: inexperienced yet extremely enthusiastic.

When the number ended, Korra was huffing her breaths and Barry was looking quite smug as he escorted her from the dance floor.

She grinned at him. "You've been practicing."

He nodded a little.

A wistful look entered her eyes. "Did you do that…for me?"

Barry's cheeks reddened a little as he looked down and away.

"As a point of fact, he did."

The couple turned toward Asami, who had just parted from her father.

Asami smiled. "Told me it was so he wasn't a wallflower at any more of my company parties, but I always knew."

He gave her a deadpan stare.

Korra laughed and rubbed his arm, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it."

Barry looked down at her.

She smiled. "It's sweet. Because I know you hated dancing."

"I never hated it per se." He shrugged. "Just wasn't my kind of thing."

"Too physical?"

"Too coordinated. I was never too fast on my feet."

Both women snorted rather ungracefully in their attempts to hold back laughter.

Barry just crossed his arms defensively and gave them a deadpan look, eyes eventually wandering over the throng of people before stopping on one face in particular, standing right behind the ladies. His eyes went double-wide, and he grabbed them both, pulling them by the shoulders to stand next to him. The two women whirled around, sharing similar shocked and mildly nervous expressions as they stared into the immaculately-clad form of Leonard Snart, who was holding a mug of something warm and alcoholic.

"What…are you doing here?" Korra half-growled.

"Just wanted to pay my regards to the happy couple." He smirked. "Someone must've lost my invitation in the mail."

"I'm sure," Barry replied sarcastically.

Leonard gave him a venomous smile.

"So," Asami said, "how much do I owe you?"

The thief looked at her questioningly. "For what?"

She crossed her arms, looking rather businesslike despite the red cocktail dress. "For helping to save the city."

Snart smirked and snorted, taking a long drag from his mug. "Consider this one on the house." He held up the mug approvingly. "Good stuff. You pick it?"

Barry rolled his eyes. "You said your peace. Get outta here, Snart."

His eyes rolled. "Fine, fine, I know when I'm not wanted." He stopped mid-step. "It's a little funny to think that I'm attending the wedding of a former convict…" his head turned toward them, "being hailed as a hero."

They exchanged stares for a while.

Snart smiled. "See you around, Barry."

Barry waited until he was out of sight before sighing hard in relief. "Well that was an unwelcome disturbance." He turned to the ladies. "Why was he even here, anyway?"

Korra arched an eyebrow. "You know, considering Varrick's past criminal connections, I wouldn't be surprised if Snart actually _was_ telling the truth about that."

Asami smirked and shook her head, turning around and paling _immediately_. "Who invited _him_?"

Barry and Korra both fell utterly silent.

"Barry…"

"What?" he protested. "He's _good_ for you. Seems like everyone can see that except you, 'Sami."

Asami turned to Korra for support, but found none.

"Asami," Korra sighed, "have you told him?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Told him what?"

"That you regret breaking up with him," replied Barry.

Her eyes went super wide. "I— _what_?! I didn't—"

"'Sami, don't even try to play it off. You skipped out on that drink with Hal, so he called me. I called Korra, she called Mako, one thing led to the next, and before you know it, he's spilling his drunken guts to all of us."

Asami audibly facepalmed, rubbing her forehead into her hand. "Look, guys, it's not what you think." She looked up to see their skeptical faces. "Hal was reckless, immature, a complete child, and—"

"Fun," Korra interrupted. "Trust me, you need some fun in your life."

"And as the whole _city_ saw," Barry added, "he's as serious as he needs to be. He put his life on the line to save yours, Asami. If that's not dedication, I don't know what is."

She sighed hard and turned to look over her shoulder at the pilot, who was having a drink with Mako. "I know."

"Then why not tell him?"

Asami snorted and whipped her head around to face him. "Are you _kidding_? His head's big enough already. I do that, he'll be insufferable. I'll never hear the end of it."

"Ever considered maybe that's a good thing?" Korra asked.

Asami arched a disbelieving eyebrow.

"I can't believe you're forgetting this. In my experience, the guys who tease and go out of their way to annoy us—without being mean about it—are most often the ones who like us the most."

Asami blinked at her owlishly.

Korra sighed. "And here I thought you were supposed to know more about boys than me."

She snorted and crossed her arms. "I _do_ know more than you."

"Except, it seems, when it comes to Hal. Face it, Asami, you've got a blind spot where he's concerned. I've only seen you two interact for the last two weeks, and it's plain as day how he feels about you—and you for him."

She looked off into the distance.

"Question," said Korra, "have you ever actually let him know how much you appreciate him as a person? Or even as a pilot? You know, in a nice, non-backhanded way?"

Asami's wide eyes and red cheeks were all the answer they needed.

Barry put a hand on her shoulder. "Go tell him, Asami. He might surprise you."

Asami looked up at him, then over at Hal, who was laughing at something Bolin said. And then she exhaled hard and reached over to a nearby waiter, snatching up two flutes of champagne.

"Approach with a drink," said Barry, "great idea."

His notion was proven completely off when she put both glasses to her lips and tilted them toward the sky, both flutes completely drained down her throat within two seconds. Korra and Barry just stared openmouthed as Asami rapidly shook her head to clear out the tingles before letting out a muffled burp.

"If I'm going over there, I am _not_ doing it without a little liquid courage."

"That was a lot more than a little," Barry muttered to Korra.

…

Asami paid them no heed, half-strutting over to the gaggle of boys clustered around Hal and stopping directly behind the pilot, Mako and Bolin giving her wide-eyed looks. She cleared her throat loudly, causing Hal to jump and whirl toward her with a startled look. Asami arched an eyebrow at him, hands on her hips.

Hal smiled. "Hey, I got the invite. Wasn't my idea, but I thought it'd be bad form to turn it down." He gave her his best winning grin, though she could still detect considerable nerves behind the expression. "Besides, how could I refuse the promise of an open bar?"

Asami nodded slowly, lips pursed. "So…you came here just to get hammered."

Hal's cheeks were almost instantly tinged with red as he shifted uncomfortably. "Well, uh, no. I was checking up on—I mean, hanging out with—" He cleared his throat, glancing around haphazardly before settling his vision on Asami. "Am I still fired?"

She blinked hard, then drew back a little and narrowed her eyes in confusion. " _What_?"

"W-Well you said, you know, the day of the invasion, that I was fired once I put the plane on the ground, and, well…considering how it got _to_ the ground…and since you haven't called me in for work…"

Asami gaped, immediately feeling her heart sink at the completely crestfallen expression on his face. Without even thinking, she reached out and grabbed his hand in two of hers. "Hal—oh boy…look, when I said all that, I was worried and stressed and terrified for you. Hearing your voice after that plane crashed…" Her grip tightened around his hand. "Hal, what you did that day was _amazing_. Stealing company property, flying unsanctioned—under any other circumstances, those actions would make you a criminal. Know what they made you then?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Unemployed?"

Asami chuckled softly and laid one hand against his jaw. "A hero."

Hal gaped down at her, eyes wide and blinking hard. His head abruptly turned to Mako. "Dude, pinch me."

"I'll do you one better," said Asami with a devilish smirk.

Before he had time to face her fully, Hal's head was gripped in both her hands and pulled down, her lips pressing against his firmly and getting a startled noise from the back of his throat as all activity around them halted rather abruptly. It took Hal nearly two full seconds to realize the reality of what was happening, and then his arms were around her waist, pulling her body against his and her feet partway off the ground, only her toes touching the stone floor. When they broke apart, it was at least twelve seconds later, and both of them had a glassy look over their eyes. Asami was just a little sharper, and was grinning up at Hal, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Still think this is a dream?" she asked just softly enough for him to hear.

Hal stared down at her, eyes flickering from her eyes to her lips and back. Then he smiled widely. "Best I've ever had."

Asami smiled wider, eyes crinkling, and brought her forehead to Hal's, gently pressing their noses together.

"Asami?"

Her blood instantly ran cold, eyes going wide as she rapidly pulled away from Hal (but still holding onto him) and turned toward the source of the voice. "Dad—um…" She trailed off nervously, a deep blush staining her cheeks.

Hiroshi arched an amused eyebrow. "Is there something I should know?"

…

"Korra?"

"Yeah?"

"Are they… _blushing_?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"That's what I thought." Barry's head shook slowly. "I don't think I've ever seen Hal blush a day in his life. Or nervous at all."

Korra smirked. "Love does strange things to people."

His smile slowly dropped. "Yeah. It does."

She turned to him, frowned briefly, then put on a small smile and rubbed his arm. "Hey."

He turned to face her. "Hm?"

"What do you want to do next? More dancing?" Korra smirked. "I got my second wind now. I guarantee I'll wipe the floor with you this time."

Barry smiled and nodded at the ground. "I'm sure." His smile dropped off as he blinked sluggishly.

Korra frowned again and gently tipped his chin up to look at her. "You all right?"

His lips twitched and pursed as he nodded. "Yeah. Just…a little tired."

Before either of them could say more, a familiar voice came from the side. "Thought I might find you two here."

Barry turned and grinned. "Dad!"

He embraced the older man, the two Allens breaking apart a moment later.

Korra smiled at him warmly. "Henry, always great to see you."

Barry's father grinned. "And you, Korra."

They hugged heartily, Korra lifting him off the ground a few inches in her enthusiasm. Henry laughed and gave a little cough to clear his airways when she set him down.

Barry looked between them. "You two seem…close."

Korra rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, uh, well…when you…"

"Disappeared," Henry supplied.

"Disappeared, yeah. We both waited together. Cisco and I helped him get settled back in the world, and we sort of…bonded. Until I left, that is." Korra turned to the older man. "I'd been meaning to get back in touch with you, but there was so much going on—" she shrugged, "—just kept slipping my mind."

Henry smiled and waved her off. "It's fine. I understand completely." He looked between them. "You two have been very busy these last couple of months."

Korra smiled ruefully. "No excuse to neglect family."

Henry glanced down and smiled warmly, looking back up at her and nodding once. "Well you'll always be welcome in my home."

Barry nodded in agreement. They were all silent for a moment, then Barry tapped his father's shoulder. "Hey, Dad. Somethin' I gotta talk to you about."

Henry turned to him. "Sure thing, slugger."

Barry glanced at Korra. "In private. Sorry."

Korra smiled and put her hands up in acquiescence. "I gotcha. Think I need some alone time anyway."

The Allens smiled and filed off to speak alone, Korra watching them go with a wistful look in her eyes, then letting her smile drop off as she turned toward the new brightest light in Republic City's night sky. Before she knew it, Korra was standing on the edge of Air Temple Island, absently gazing out into the golden light of the spirit portal, with Naga lying down some eight feet to her left.

"I spoke to President Raiko."

Korra turned her head left to look at Tenzin.

"Tomorrow, he's announcing a plan to expand the city rather than rebuild downtown."

She hummed absently, turning back to the mainland. "I bet Aang never could've imagined there'd be a spirit portal right in the heart of Republic City."

"Korra, you've transformed the world more in a few years than most Avatars did during their _lifetimes_."

Korra frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. "But I feel like I've only just begun." She looked up at him. "There's so much more I want to learn and do."

Tenzin turned to her and smiled widely. "You don't know how happy I am to hear you so full of hope again."

Korra's shoulder shook with silent laughter. "It's been a bit of a bumpy ride, huh?"

He grinned and folded his hands behind his back. "I've come to realize life is one big 'bumpy' ride."

Korra smiled and looked down. "I know I was in a pretty dark place after I was poisoned—" she glanced up at him, "—but I finally understand why I had to go through all that." She looked forward with a frown. "I needed to understand what true suffering was so I could become more compassionate to others," she shrugged, "even to people like Kuvira."

Tenzin smiled wider and put a hand on her shoulder, the teacher and his student exchanging a long, respectful look.

"Excuse me, Tenzin?"

The pair turned to the center of the island, where Barry was standing some eight feet away.

The speedster jerked a thumb toward the party. "Varrick is looking for you. Something about wanting to borrow a glider suit to fly off the tower?"

Tenzin's eyes went wide in alarm. "That doesn't seem like a good idea!"

Barry and Korra watched as the master airbender ran off like someone lit a fire in his cloak, then turned to each other and erupted into laughter. It was a while before they calmed down, Korra eyeing her boyfriend carefully as he stared blankly into the distance.

"Want to sit with me for a minute?" she asked. "I'm not ready to get back to the party just yet."

He turned his head to smile at her and nod. They both moved toward the steps by a large arch, sitting next to each other, Barry's chin sitting on his entwined fingers.

Korra frowned. "I…don't think I ever really apologized."

Barry glanced at her. "For what?"

She shrugged absently, staring out into the bay. "For being gone all that time. For not coming back sooner."

He smiled and shook his head slowly. "You don't have to apologize for anything." He reached over and took one of her hands in his. "You're here now, and I couldn't be happier."

Korra's lips pursed as she looked at him. "Then why have you felt off all night, like there's some cloud constantly hanging over your head?"

Barry's smile dropped slowly, and he sighed hard as he stared out into the bay, head shaking slowly. "Because I'm exhausted," he exhaled.

Korra chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. I gotcha. These days, who isn't? Like Henry said, it's been a busy couple of months."

Barry just frowned and shook his head harder, another hard, exasperated sigh leaving him as he stood. "No, Korra." He scrubbed a hand across his face and started pacing as she eyed him worriedly. "You don't get it."

Korra pushed herself upright with a grunt, approaching him and holding his arm to keep him steady. "Then explain it to me."

Barry took a deep breath, scrubbing his face with both hands. A sharp breath was exhaled a moment later, and squared his shoulders with her, brows furrowed in concentration. "Okay…okay." He took another deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I know…that the last two years have been anything but easy for you. And by the last two years, I mean…after I left." He rubbed his eyes, tearing up a little. "I know it wasn't easy, I know you were in pain, you suffered. A lot."

She frowned and looked down.

"But you had that time. Time to…come to terms with everything that had happened, time to process the past. Time to _rest_."

Korra looked up at him with slightly parted lips, realization slowly dawning on her.

Barry shrugged. "I didn't get that." He gulped hard. "I…rescued my father, stopped the man who killed my mother, and saved Republic City." He coughed softly. "And then, I found myself on another Earth, met another Flash, fought a metahuman. Came back to find out I'd lost a year." His lips pursed. "And Korra, the year that I lost…it wasn't just a year with you, or Mako and Lin and my dad. It was a year that I _needed_ , just to…"

"Rest," she supplied in a near-whisper.

Barry nodded slowly, gulping to clear his throat. "So, I came back to a world that had moved on. My friends were gone, you were gone, my dad had moved to another _continent_ , and-and the only people I had with me were Asami and Lin. And they…they had problems of their own." He smiled sardonically. "And then, not two _weeks_ after I got back, one week after I saw you off, metahumans start pouring out of the breach from Earth-One, and I have an entirely new crisis to deal with that takes me nearly _six_ _months_ to stop. And after that—Kuvira happened.

"For the past two years, I have been going non—stop. Haven't had time to slow down, time to breathe." He sighed hard and scrubbed his face again, eyes locking onto Korra intensely. "So, Korra, please understand the gravity and magnitude of what I'm saying when I tell you that I am… _exhausted_." With this, his entire body sagged partway, a vivid visual representation of his internal condition. Barry's brows furrowed as he turned toward the bay, hands in his pant pockets. "I think I need to stop."

Korra's eyes widened in alarm. "Stop? Stop what, being the Flash?"

He nodded slightly. "Just for a little while. Just until I can catch my breath." He ran a hand through his hair. "I need a vacation. Away from Republic City and metahumans and work and…everything."

She smiled understandingly. "I hear you. I really, really do." Her smiled turned to a smirk as she nudged his side with her elbow. "And I think a few other people would love to share that with you."

Barry smiled ruefully and shook his head. "I know they would, but…for once in my life, I think I need to do something selfish. I need to have this time to myself, without any of them."

Korra's face fell immediately.

He turned to look at her. "You understand?"

"Yeah," she replied quietly, looking down. "I just…was wondering if that applied to me too." She looked up to see Barry blinking down at her.

His eyebrows hiked upward. "You…want to come with me?"

Korra arched a brow. "Is that really so hard to believe?"

"But—but you _just_ got back. Back to Republic City, back to full strength, to being the Avatar…and you want to walk away from all that?"

"Only for a little while. I told you; this isn't a responsibility I'm willing to leave to anyone else—at least, not permanently. But like you, I can't keep going forever. And coming back after almost two years, doing this much this fast—it takes a toll."

He still looked skeptical.

Korra frowned and took his hands in hers. "Barry, you know how I feel about you."

He blinked and stared at her, brows furrowed. "Well, yeah. You told me flat-out that you loved me."

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "I'm just worried that you don't know how much."

Barry blinked and shook his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Korra stroked the backs of his hands with her thumbs, looking down at his hands. "When we met almost three years ago, I was in a place of complete darkness. Didn't see any possible way out. That day, when you quite _literally_ swept me off my feet, you started chipping away at the shadows, pulling back the gloom and giving me hope that one day, I'd see the light again. Since then, you've shown me the kind of difference a single person can make, no matter how inadequate they feel, or how many times they've failed. You inspired me to keep going, to keep getting stronger. You helped me become the person I am today: a hero worthy of the title."

Barry smiled shyly.

"But along the way, I think you forgot that. Or, maybe you just never realized how big of a part you played. Barry…the year that you were gone, and the six months after…were some of the hardest of my _life_. Why? Because _you weren't there_ , and I don't just mean physically. I tried to put you out of my mind, thinking that my memories of you were a distraction, when in reality, you were what helped me focus on what really mattered." She rubbed his forearms distractedly. "So, I hope you'll understand why the prospect of not having you around…isn't an appealing one."

He frowned. "I don't. Not fully. You're recovered, you're healed, at the top of your game. What do you need me here for?"

"I don't—need you _here_." Her hands rose to his neck, cupping his face. "I need you _with_ _me_."

Barry stared at her for a moment. "Whatever happened to 'knowing who you are without me'? I mean, wasn't that the whole point of you leaving?"

Korra chuckled mirthlessly. "Yes. Yes it was. But life has a way of showing you just how idiotic you're being through hard knocks. The truth is, I already _knew_ who I was without you. I was gloomy, selfish, consumed by self-pity… The _true_ purpose of that journey, one I didn't understand until much later, was to make me realize who I could be _with_ you." She gulped and looked down. "Barry, when you lost your speed, you told me that you couldn't be the best version of yourself without your powers, without the Flash." Her hands rose to his neck, cupping his face. "All my life, I've felt this piece missing.

"Just…a void, where deep down, I know something is supposed to be." Her oceanic blue eyes searched his lighter ones intently. "That void didn't begin to ache until I met you." She huffed and glanced down. "So, I guess what I'm saying is…I can't be the best version of me…without you."

Barry's lips pursed as he silently chewed her words over. "What about the city? The world?"

Korra snorted a small laugh. "Neither of us was here for just over a year, and the world was fine. It'll be here when we get back." She smiled wryly. "Besides, it's like you said, there has to be _some_ space between crises, right?"

Barry grinned and glanced to the side.

Korra's smile faded, lips pressed into a thin line. "I can't see the future, Bear. I don't know what's coming. I don't know if…there's something we missed, some new threat just over the horizon." She shrugged. "I don't know. It's all fog and shadows to me." Her lips quirked upward. "But, through all that, there's one thing that's visible. One thing that _consistently_ pushes back the darkness in my mind." She looked at him intensely. "You. So, no matter what happens next, no matter how crazy or chaotic things get, I want you by my side, and to stand by yours. Because in every scenario, in every possible situation, you are the one constant in my future." Korra smiled wistfully, eyes clouding over. "Because that's what you are to me, Barry. _You_ are my future."

Barry stared at her for a long time, lips parted, jaw halfway open, eyes filling and darting from one of hers to the other.

Korra's gently trembling lips turned in a heartwarming smile. "So," she said in a near-whisper, "can I come with you?"

Barry's breathing went choppy for a moment as his lips quirked upward and features began shifting haphazardly. And then his lips were on hers, his arms tight around her smaller form as she felt heat spread throughout her entire body, all of it radiating from anywhere he touched her. He kissed her deeply, fervently, and she responded in kind, a low, guttural noise stirring in the back of her throat as she surrendered to him, legs barely keeping her upright. Even if she had collapsed, his grip around her was so tight, she doubted she'd have fallen even an inch.

Seemingly both too soon and too late, his mouth left hers with a quiet smack, both of them shaking slightly in the aftermath and gasping a little for lack of air. Other than their lungs and shoulders, their eyes were the only things moving, constantly flickering from one of their partner's to the other. It was a long time before either of them was coherent enough for speech, and when that happened, it was Korra who broke the silence.

"So…" her lips twitched in a smile, "is that a yes?"

Barry's face broke out in an ear-to-ear grin as he erupted in unrestrained laughter, forehead pressed against hers. "Yes! Yes!"

They both laughed for a good long while, a few brief kisses exchanged somewhere in their elated confusion before they finally calmed down enough to breathe properly. Korra grinned and looped her arms around his shoulders as his went to her waist.

"So," she began expectantly, "where do you want to go?"

Barry stared at her for a moment before raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Wait…you mean, like, right now?"

Korra chuckled. "No time like the present. Besides," she winced, "I dunno about you, but I'm a little partied out."

He looked her over for another couple of seconds, then grinned even wider and looked up in thought. He was quiet for a while, eyes absently darting around before locking on an as-yet unfamiliar source of light.

Barry's head cocked slightly. "Huh."

"What?"

A smirk spread over his lips. "I'm kinda curious to see where that spirit portal goes." His ice-blue eyes turned back to her. "What do you think?"

She drew close and gave him a smoldering look. "I'm thinkin' I want to know how fast you can pack."

He arched an eyebrow at the challenge. "You trust me to pick your clothes?"

"Of course."

Barry grinned and pecked her lips, gently pulling away from her embrace. "Then just give me two minutes."

"And counting."

He was gone a second later, his lightning trail fading instantly as he rounded the edge of Air Temple Island, evidently going for her place first. Korra stood in silence, a stupid, dopey grin plastered on her face as she stared out into the bay, arms crossed.

"You weren't planning on leaving without saying goodbye…"

Korra whipped around to see a tuxed-up Oliver Queen smiling at her, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"…were you?"

She gaped a little. "Oliver. You—how much did you hear?"

He winced. "Enough to know with near-certainty that the answer to my question is yes."

Korra sighed and shrugged, turning back to face the water. "Look…Ollie—"

"Don't get me wrong. I think it's a _great_ idea."

Her head snapped to him. "You _do_?"

Oliver nodded emphatically. "You've both been running yourselves ragged—Barry because he's been going non-stop, and you because you've been out of the game so long, it's like overworking an unused muscle. Go much further, and you'll atrophy. And it's good that you both realize that. Shows real maturity." He smiled wryly. "And, I would know, because I've never been that mature."

Korra laughed softly, her smile slowly replaced with a concerned expression. "Are you guys gonna be okay while we're away? I mean, I don't know how long Barry plans on being on vacation, but who knows what could happen in that time?"

Oliver's lips pursed as he looked out into the waves. "If good people allow themselves to be ruled by fear, then what point is there in being good?"

Korra frowned in concentration. "Who said that?"

Oliver looked to her and smirked. "Barry Allen." His expression went serious. "You can't let what might happen stop you from doing what's necessary. And in case you hadn't noticed, you two aren't the only guardians around." He smiled. "This world isn't lacking for heroes." His hand placed itself on her shoulder. "Take as long as you need. We'll take care of the rest."

Korra smiled warmly and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you, Oliver."

He held her close, gently rubbing her back. "Anytime."

They pulled apart just as the sound of rushing air and dissipating electricity reached them from the waterfront. The pair turned to see Barry grind to a halt, a grin on his face and two bags in his hands.

"All right, hon; two bags packed and ready to—" He stopped short when he saw Oliver. "Heyyy…Oliver. What's up?"

Korra rolled her eyes with a grin. "You can drop it, Bear. He already knows." Her brows furrowed as she gave the archer a look. "Speaking of, how _did_ you know? To look for us here, I mean."

Oliver shifted nervously. "Well…"

Barry's eyes widened. "You knew, didn't you? You knew we'd try something like this."

He shrugged. "Actually, I didn't." He jabbed a thumb behind him. "She did."

The couple turned and looked, eyes widening when Asami stepped out from behind some bushes.

Barry sighed. "Of course."

Asami smirked. "Who else would know you so well?" She shrugged. "Although technically, I didn't _know_. It was just a…strong suspicion."

"Uh huh," Barry said skeptically.

Asami smiled. "But—in case I was right, I may have also told a few… _other_ people about that suspicion."

Korra and Barry's eyes widened dramatically when from every corner of the island, familiar faces started pouring into the clearing. The Beifongs, Tenzin, Bolin, Mako, Cisco, the Raymonds, Hiroshi, Hal, Tonraq, Henry, and the entirety of Team Arrow joined them at the top of the steps, their small crowd enclosing them in a warm cluster of affection. Ronnie and Caitlin gave their regards to the Avatar and her boyfriend. The Beifongs—mostly Su—gave Lin a teasing look as she glared them back, then approached the couple.

Barry had the sense to look contrite. "Uh, look, Chief—"

"You have the next two months off. I already saw to the arrangements."

He gaped at her. "Excuse me?"

Lin arched an eyebrow. "In the four years you've worked for the RCPD, you've never taken a sick day. Not one." Her arms crossed. "Let's just say that you have more than a bit of paid leave stacked up." Her features softened a little. "I've seen you nearly every day since you've been back, and I _know_ the bags you try to keep hidden under those eyes. Truth is, after the wedding, I was going to _order_ you to take some time off. This little vacation saves me the trouble."

Barry exchanged a surprised look with Korra, then shrugged and turned back to Lin, grinning. He lunged forward and hugged her tightly before she could respond or protest. "I love you," he muttered into her shoulder.

Korra had to restrain laughter at the glare Lin was throwing the rest of her family in response to their ruthlessly teasing looks. As he finally pulled away, Korra was approached by Henry, who hugged her warmly.

"Keep in touch, okay? Even if it's just a letter or phone call every week or so. Knowing my son, you'll have access to both pretty quick no matter where you are."

Korra smiled and nodded. "We will, I promise."

Henry grinned and turned to embrace Barry. Bolin laughed and gave Barry a pat on the back, then encased Korra in a crushing hug before pulling away to return to Opal's side. Tenzin gave his student a warm look and respectful bow, no more needing to be said between them.

Korra's father was next to embrace her. "You've only just gotten back, and you're leaving again. Your mother and I will miss you terribly, as always, but we know you'll be back home in no time." He smiled and glanced at Barry. "Well… _almost_ no time, anyway."

Barry grinned and gave him a nod, shaking his hand firmly. "Give Hunter my regards when you get back home."

Tonraq nodded. "I will."

Korra gave them both a surprised look, the expression on Barry's face telling her he'd explain later.

Asami was next to step forward, smiling shyly with her hands folded in front of her. "I…really don't know what to say." She glanced down. "You guys…have been the best friends someone like me could ever have asked for: family. You've stuck with me through thick and thin, and…when I needed you most, you were there."

Her eyes filled as she drew close to the couple. They each took one of her outstretched hands.

"Two weeks ago, I almost lost every single one of you." Asami turned her head to look at Hal and her father. "Including two of the people who matter to me the most." Her eyes slid closed as she released a shuddering breath. "I don't know that I could've handled losing them both in the same day." Asami opened her eyes and smiled at Barry and Korra. "But thanks to you two, I didn't have to, and that's a debt I can never repay. _Thank you_."

Barry and Korra smiled, the latter answering first. "You never have to thank us for being there for you."

"Yeah," Barry agreed with a shrug and grin. "What else is family for?"

Asami's smile widened as she released their hands and pulled them both to her. "I love you guys."

"We love you too," they answered in chorus.

They parted moments later, Barry being approached by none other than Oliver Queen as Korra was surrounded by the members of Team Avatar.

"Barry," he said, outstretching his hand.

The speedster shook it with a smile. "Oliver."

Oliver gripped his hand for a few seconds before releasing it.

"You guys gonna be okay while we're gone?"

"Korra asked me the same question."

"And?"

Oliver smirked. "Two years ago, I told you that you could inspire people. A few months after that, you said the same of me." He shrugged. "Turns out we were both right." He smiled wider. "We'll be fine."

Barry grinned. "Glad to hear it."

Oliver was quiet for a while, features turning serious. "You know, apart from John…you're the best man I've ever known. I don't ever want you to forget that."

Barry nodded slowly. "Same goes for you. Don't ever let the light go out, Ollie. No matter what darkness you have to face, don't ever lose hope."

He chuckled and nodded. "I'll…do my best. And when that's not enough, I know I'm not alone anymore."

Barry grinned. "No you aren't. Not ever. Remember: you need me, I'm there—wherever, whenever."

"Same here."

Barry went in for a hug, but Oliver drew back a step, laughing nervously.

"I'm uh, not exactly a hugger, so…"

Barry shrugged and smiled wryly. "Yeah, well, you know, I'm fast enough to hug you without you even knowing, so…might as well."

Oliver chuckled and submitted, holding the other man for a moment or two, then breaking apart with a grin.

"See?" Barry teased. "That wasn't so bad."

The archer laughed some more, then patted Barry's shoulder. "Now, I do believe you and this lady have a trip to start."

"Right," replied Barry as he reached for their bags and slung them over his shoulders.

He straightened up a moment later and stiffened in alarm when he saw John hand Oliver his bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Uh—" Barry began nervously, "what is _that_ for?"

Oliver looked at him innocently. "Starting your vacation off with a bang."

Barry arched a skeptical eyebrow.

Ollie snorted a laugh and grinned. "What, don't you trust me?"

Barry rolled his eyes and shook his head with a grin, then flashed over to Korra, sweeping her off her feet with a surprised gasp as he smiled down at her. "Ready?"

She nodded once, arms looping around his neck as he turned toward the water.

"Run, Barry."

They both glanced back to see Oliver smiling at them.

"Run."

Immediately, Oliver widened his stance and reached back to pull three arrows from his quiver, nocking them all at once and pointing them far up into the sky. He released them as soon as they were fully drawn, and a split-second later, Barry took off. A second after that, the arrows exploded, not with fire or concussion, but in glorious, vibrant hues of blue, green, red, and gold. Barry and Korra looked up at the fireworks, taking a moment to appreciate the bright flashes of color and resounding boom left in their wake. They exchanged a look, both smiling warmly as Barry faced forward and Korra laid her head on his shoulder.

Back on Air Temple Island, a throng of people—heroes—watched the departure of their friends with rapt attention, some drawing closer to others to take their hand or put an arm around their shoulder. Oliver's right arm went around Felicity's waist as she leaned against him affectionately. Together, they all gazed out into the distance, an ever-permeating feeling of joy filling them as a long trail of electricity approached a huge beam of light; watched as those two golden torches slowly became one.

And with a flare of light and power, the Flash and the Avatar sped through the portal, carried into their future on the gilded wings of an angel.

 _THE END_

* * *

Musical Inspirations:

The Flash Season 1 - Best Friends Since Childhood: "When we met..."/" _You_ are my future"; Fate of My Dad: Familiar faces/Goodbyes

The Flash vs. Arrow – The Brave and the Bold: start-1:10—Barry and Oliver talk/"What is _that_ for?"/"Don't you trust me?", 1:10-1:17—"Ready?"/"Run, Barry. Run", 1:17-1:22—bow draw/Barry takes off, 1:22-end—fireworks/into the distance/end.

AN: It is finished. Just over a year ago, I began this story, thinking that it was only going to be a fun little one-shot. Instead, I got taken on an incredible journey that grew into my biggest and most popular story to _date_. Of all the great moments I've had along the way, I have to say that the greatest gift I've been given while writing _Angel_ is all of you. Sharing this story, this world, with all of you has been a boon of such great value, I can't even describe it.

With all of that said, there are a few more things to go over, specifically that big reveal about the chapter titles. So, here's the big secret. When I started, it was only supposed to be a one-shot, but when I expanded into a second chapter, and then a third and so on, I decided to get a little creative. And, since this was my first foray into a story that was significantly focused on romance, I figured I'd make them about Barry and Korra. More specifically, how they see each other in each chapter.

So, with the first chapter, "Angel," it's how Korra sees Barry, and with the second, "Hope," how Barry sees Korra, and so on. Every even-numbered chapter (except for "The Flash vs. Arrow") is titled after Barry's vision of Korra in that chapter, and every odd after Korra's perception of Barry. It's a subtle thing, not all that easy to pick up on, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise, so I left this explanation until the very end.

Apart from that, I don't know that there's much left to talk about. I am planning on adding a short epilogue to this story once I get the final reviews—more of a preview for the first sequel story, really—but it really isn't necessary to complete _Angel_. I will say that I already have ideas for at least two—if not three—potential sequels for _Angel_ , but given how difficult it was to finish this story, I don't think I'll be getting to those for a good long while.

Anyway, as always, please review this chapter. It's the last one in a very, _very_ long story, so kudos for making it this far. If you can, leave a general impression and review of not only this chapter, but _Angel_ in its entirety. Thanks.

Signing off for the last time in this story, I wish you all a fond farewell.

And as always, _oya, vode_.

\- CDrake

P.S.: Oliver's fireworks show was inspired by his finishing cutscene for single fights in Injustice.


	54. Epilogue

10 months later

Sato Estate, Republic City

10 months after the Battle of Republic City

He waited for the phone to ring once, twice, right foot tapping the ground in nervous anticipation. His left hand held the receiver to his ear as his right grasped a hardwood object. Finally, there was a click over the line, and a brief blip of static before the connection solidified.

"Hello?" asked a groggy voice.

He smiled a little. "Hey."

A pause. "Barry?"

"Yeah, gorgeous, it's me."

Another pause. "It's 3 AM," Korra nearly whined in exasperation.

"I know. I just…didn't want to wait 'til tomorrow."

"For what?"

Barry looked down, chewing his lower lip as a smile tugged at his features. "Are you available tomorrow? Say, right before sunset?" His right thumb found a seam in the wooden object, flipping it open as he let his mouth curve. "There's somethin' I want to ask you."

"Then _ask_ ," she groaned.

"No," he replied firmly, " _tomorrow_. Pick you up at six?"

"Nngh…okay. Can I go back to sleep now?"

He chuckled lightly. "Yeah, you sleep. I love you."

"Love you too," she slurred, the line clicking off a moment later.

Barry just kept grinning as he set the receiver back in its cradle, eyes never leaving the small rectangular box in his hand.

Or the blue-ribboned necklace contained within.


End file.
